


Three's Company

by Bumble_Bee_Be



Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 27,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22021147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumble_Bee_Be/pseuds/Bumble_Bee_Be
Summary: To save her kingdom, Clarke Griffin had to marry someone she doesn't love, someone she never even met before her wedding day. Then she meets Bellamy Blake and suddenly her new situation doesn't seem so bad. But what will Bellamy do when Clarke is taken by the Mountain Men?
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin/Roan, Monty Green/Harper McIntyre, Octavia Blake/Lincoln
Comments: 59
Kudos: 144





	1. A Birthday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry this is awful

Clarke Griffin awakes on the morning of her seventeenth birthday to a burning sensation on her side, just above her hip bone. She sits up and frantically pulls the fabric of her night clothes away from the spot. Her eyes widen and a wide smile lights up her face. “Finally,” she sighs, closing her eyes and flopping back down on her pillows. _Finally_. Her Soulmate Mark had finally revealed itself. Clarke’s spirits plummet quickly, however. She may have finally received her mark but it doesn’t matter. It never did, not to her mother. Before Clarke was even born, the Queen had struck an alliance with the King of Trikru. An alliance that would be made official through blood. Through marriage. Arcadia was a great kingdom; prosperous and peaceful, but they were small. So, when Azgeda broke their truce, Abby had desperately searched for allies, finding one in Trikru. As long as Clarke was willing to do her part. The only problem was, she wasn’t. Ever since she was little, Clarke had dreamed of finding her soulmate. Waiting (not so) patiently since her tenth birthday for her mark to arrive; always disappointed when it didn’t. Until her fifteenth birthday, when her mother told her that she was to be married shortly after her seventeen birthday. Then, it all went away. Her dream of finding her soulmate, of marrying for love instead of politics. Of her happily ever after. Instead, she is to marry a stranger. A man she’s never even met, much less fallen in love with.

Clarke’s handmaiden, Harper, bursts into the room, interrupting Clarke’s thoughts. Harper McIntyre was Clarke’s favourite childhood nanny’s daughter, and the two girls practically grew up together. When Harper’s mother passed away a few years ago, Harper was given the role of Clarke’s handmaiden so she could stay in the palace. Clarke had insisted.

“Clarke!” Harper exclaims breathlessly. “Your… mother… coming… King…” She manages to gasp out a few words between pants. Clarke runs to the flustered girl, suppressing a chuckle.

“Harper, what the hell are you going on about?” She demands, a light snicker escaping her.

“I ran all the way here when I found out. Your mother, she-” Harper is cut off by the doors to Clarke’s chambers slamming open. Diana Sydney waltzes in, causing a shiver to run down Clarke’s spine. She never liked Diana, even as a child. When she was little, Diana was one of Clarke’s three nannies.

“Princess, I’m to get you ready,” Diana says coldly, with a small curtsy. Clarke and Harper exchange a glance, Harper’s eyes sympathetic and Clarke’s eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Clarke turns back to Diana.

“Ready for what?” She demands.

“For your wedding of course,” Diana says simply. Clarke’s eyes shoot open in surprise.

“My- my what?!” She shrieks, turning to Harper.

“I was trying to tell you, your mom and King Thelonius… they decided to move up the wedding. They want you to marry today, Clarke,” she explains. Clarke’s mouth falls open and Diana sighs exasperatedly.

“Come on, we haven’t got all day. Harper, draw her a bath. I’ll retrieve her gown and then do her hair. The Queen expects her to be ready within the hour,” Diana snaps. Clarke bites back a retort.

“Diana, I demand to see my mother,” she says instead. “I’m not to be married for a year!”

“Well, things changed. Now, come. Your mother will see you once you’re ready.” Clarke shoots Harper a desperate look, but Harper just shrugs helplessly.

“Diana, what is going on?” Clarke presses. Diana presses her lips together in a thin line.

“Azgeda has officially declared war. We need this alliance and we need it to be solidified now. You will marry the prince and in doing so, you will ensure your kingdom’s safety,” she finally explains. Clarke’s mouth drops open, mirroring Harper’s.

“They- I- but-,” Clarke stammers.

“Well, you not being able to form full sentences will make my job significantly easier, so shall we?” Diana asks with a fake smile.

Little over an hour later, Clarke sits at her vanity mirror as Harper does her hair. Neither of them have spoken while Diana and Harper got Clarke ready. She had insisted on dressing herself, not wanting either of them to see her mark. Clarke stares silently at her own reflection.

“Maybe it’ll be ok, Clarke. Maybe you’ll like him,” Harper offers. Clarke sighs.

“I got my soulmate mark,” she says quietly, glancing down at her hands before meeting Harper’s eyes in the mirror. Harper’s mouth drops open and she stops brushing Clarke’s hair.

“No way! Where is it? What is it? When did you-? No way!” Harper rapid fire questions Clarke about the mark she had been waiting for for seven years. Harper got hers a little over a year ago, _**choose peace**_ written in cursive on her left shoulder blade.

“I got it this morning. It’s on my right hip. It’s only one word; Together,” Clarke says with a small smile.

“Together,” Harper repeats. Her expression turns sad as she remembers Clarke will probably never be able to meet her soulmate, and even if she does it won’t matter.

“I’m sorry, Clarke.” Clarke looks down at her hands, tears stinging her eyes.

“It’s the only choice. Without Trikru backing us, Azgeda will attack us and they will win,” Clarke says evenly.

“It’s not fair,” Harper counters. “You shouldn’t have to-” Harper is cut off as the doors to Clarke’s chambers swing open, her mother walking in.

“Clarke. Are you ready?” Abby demands. Clarke and Harper exchange another glance.

“Yes, Mother,” she says quietly, her heart breaking as she says the words.

“I’m glad to hear it. I’m so proud of you, Clarke,” Abby says with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. Clarke’s heart twists.

“Let us go meet your husband to be, then.” Clarke’s heart jumps into her throat and she stands up to follow Abby. In her lavender wedding dress, her hair intricately braided with a delicate tiara atop her head, Clarke looks like the perfect bride. She swallows hard. They walk down the grand halls, her mother leading her toward the chapel inside the kingdom. When they reach the doors, another servant hands Clarke a bouquet of white roses and lilies. Clarke takes a deep sigh as the doors swing open and the orchestra starts playing softly. Clarke lifts her head and meets the gaze of her almost-husband; Lincoln Kom Trikru, Prince of the Woods Clan.


	2. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke faces the reality of her new life

Two hours later, it’s over. Clarke has married Lincoln Kom Trikru. At the celebration after, Clarke managed to slip away into her favorite place in the castle; a hidden room she and Harper found when they were little and loved exploring the dark corners of the ancient building. Over the years, they managed to sneak a couple chairs in and even a small couch (long story).

Now, Clarke sits curled up on the couch, rocking back and forth gently, silent sobs wracking her body. Yes, she could put on the act around everyone as often as she needed, playing the part of the devoted Princess and bride. But by herself... not so much.

“Clarke?” Harper asks softly, ducking low to fit through the hidden doorway. “Clarke… are you ok?” Clarke looks up at her friend.

“Why did it have to be today? Why did I have to get my soulmate mark the  _ day _ of my wedding?” Clarke asks, knowing that Harper has no answers.

“I don’t know, Clarke. You have to get back to the party soon, your mother is getting rather irritable,” Harper says softly. Clarke nods, smoothing out her dress. She smiles up at her.

“I’ll be back in a minute. Just… give me a second, okay?” Harper nods and turns to leave. “Wait, Harper,” Harper turns back. “Thank you.” Harper smiles and leaves the room. Clarke takes a deep breath, releasing it in a long sigh as she closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Hello?” A new voice asks. Clarke’s eyes shoot open and she’s shocked to see a man standing at the entrance. He has brown skin and chocolatey black curls. His calf-brown eyes are dark with concern as he meets Clarke’s crystal blue ones. “Are you ok?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I just… needed a minute,” Clarke says, wiping her eyes quickly.

“Are you sure?”

“I said, I'm fine,” she repeats, an edge creeping into her voice. The corners of the young man’s mouth twitch upward in a smirk as Clarke stands up, smoothing out her dress again. 

“Whatever you say,  _ Princess _ ,” he says, ducking out of the room with a wink. Clarke frowns, not liking the way her title sounded on his lips. Instead of having an undertone of respect, or even admiration, he says it like an insult, mocking and teasing. She waits until he’s had enough time to get away from the room, then follows suit. 

Throughout the rest of the night, she can’t seem to get the mocking, dark haired boy out of her head.

“Harper...” Clarke starts later that night as Harper makes her bed, “do you think I made a mistake? Marrying Lincoln?” Clarke, who’s brushing her hair at the vanity desk, turns to face Harper.

“I think that you did what you always do: whatever is best for your people. You’re so selfless, Clarke, and that is what will make you a great Queen someday,” Harper replies. Clarke lets out a quiet sigh and Harper stops making her bed. “Why? Did something happen?”

“No, no. I’m just… thinking. Ever since we were little, we’ve dreamt about finding our soulmates. And now I may never get to,” she says.

“Clarke…” 

“It’s nothing, Harper, I’m just being silly.” But she isn’t. The fluttery feeling she got in her stomach when she met the brown-haired man returns now as she thinks about him, and she can hardly keep the little grin from her face. “Harper, when you left the room, did you see anyone?”

“Yes, in fact. Bellamy, Lincoln’s Commander.” At Harper’s words, the butterflies in Clarke’s belly die, settling like a rock in the pit of her stomach. Commander. Leader of the Guard of Trikru and Lincoln’s right hand man. 

“Oh,” is all Clarke can manage. “You can go, Harper. Take the rest of the night off, we have a long day tomorrow.” Tomorrow. Just the thought of the next day makes Clarke’s heart race. Tomorrow she moves to Lincoln’s palace in Trikru territory. As Harper leaves, Clarke takes a deep breath and meets her own eyes in the mirror. 

“Welcome to the rest of your life, Clarke,” she whispers to herself. 


	3. The Carriage Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke talks to Bellamy on the carriage ride. Secrets are revealed, and trust begins developing.

The next morning, Clarke looks back at her mother as she climbs into the carriage that will take her, Lincoln, Bellamy, and Harper to Lincoln’s home. Anger bubbles in her chest at Abby’s emotionless stare. The queen narrows her eyes at Clarke’s stalling and Clarke, with a tired sigh, accepts Bellamy’s hand, climbing into the carriage. Fire spreads from where her skin touches Bellamy’s, a shiver running through her as she tries to avoid his gaze.

“Princess,” he murmurs, finally making her meet his eyes. Clarke bites back a retort at the condescending way he says her old title. She is a queen now. She pulls away her hand and sits down next to Harper, across from Lincoln. She forces herself to take deep breaths as Bellamy sits across from her, his dark eyes still fixated on her face.

“Lincoln, how long will the journey b-” Clarke is cut off by a pretty young woman climbing into the carriage. Dark hair, olive skin, green eyes. Clarke takes in her appearance and the way she sticks her tongue out at Bellamy when he mutters something to her, a smirk on his face. She must be Octavia, Bellamy’s sister and one of Trikru’s greatest warriors at just sixteen. She goes by several names, Skairipa and Osleya the most common.  _ Death from above _ and  _ Champion _ . Clarke studies the younger girl.

“Your Majesty,” Octavia says as she sits on Lincoln’s other side. Octavia mutters something in Lincoln’s ear and he chuckles, nudging her in the ribs with his elbow. Clarke can feel Bellamy’s gaze on her still and she turns to Harper. It’s going to be a long ride.

And it is. At some point, Harper dozes off on Clarke’s shoulder, but Clarke is rigid as a board, unable to relax in the stuffed carriage. Octavia and Lincoln pay Clarke no attention, whispering and laughing until Octavia finally falls asleep. Lincoln follows suit soon after. Then it’s just Clarke and Bellamy. Bellamy, who has been watching Clarke the whole time, studying her. 

“So,  _ Princess _ ,” he starts, his body posture relaxed as he leans against the back of the carriage, a natural smirk on his lips. Clarke looks out the window, praying silently for Harper or one of the others to wake. They don’t. 

“I’m offended, Princess,” Bellamy teases, trying to coax her into replying. She won’t give him the satisfaction. “The silent treatment? Really? I’m that terrible company, am I?” Clarke lets out an exasperated sigh. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Princess.” Finally, Clarke looks at him.

“You haven’t offended me, Bellamy,” Clarke reassures him.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Clarke snorts incredulously. “Where should I start? My husband that is obviously in love with another?” Clarke nods to Lincoln and Octavia. “My mother who has never so much as asked me how my day was? The fact that I’m moving to a strange kingdom after marrying a stranger? The fact that luck is so much of a bitch that my soulmate mark arrived the  day of my marriage?” Clarke’s eyes widen. Did she really just say that? Horror blooms in her chest. No one is supposed to know she has her mark. 

“Your what?” Bellamy asks, voice hushed. His eyes have turned dark as he sits forward. 

“N-nothing,” Clarke stammers. 

“Clarke, do you have your mark?” Clarke looks at him strangely. 

“Did you just call me Clarke?” Clarke asks. “Did you call me something other than Princess?” A small smirk plays on Clarke’s lips and Bellamy chuckles, leaning back again. 

“You really don’t like that nickname, do you, Princess?” His expression turns serious again. “You do know that no one can ever know about your mark, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware of the fact. My own mother doesn’t even know.”

“I’m sorry that you got one at all,” Bellamy says sincerely. Clarke looks at him curiously.

“I’m not.” Bellamy’s brow furrows. “If I never got my mark, I never would’ve known that there  is someone out there for me. Someone who is meant for me and who I’m meant for. “

“But isn’t it more painful knowing there is someone out there that you can never be with than there not being anyone?” Bellamy asks. Clarke considers this for a minute, then shakes her head. 

“No. If there was no one for me, then what would be the point? Since there  is someone, I can still dream. Give myself hope, even if it is false.” Bellamy smirks at Clarke. 

“You’re very interesting, Princess.” His voice is back to its usual teasing and taunting tone. Clarke scoffs and looks out the window, unable to keep a little grin from her face. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.” 

“No problem, Princess. We’re in this together now.” Clarke offers a small smile and they both fall silent. After a little while, Clarke slumps against the window, falling into an easy sleep. Bellamy doesn’t sleep. He watches Clarke, his mind racing. He feels awful for her. She’ll never get her soulmate and Lincoln already has his. 

Lincoln and Octavia discovered their matching marks little over a year ago. Clarke will never get to even search for hers. Bellamy studies her sleeping face. Sleeping, she looks so much younger. The lines in her face disappear, the worry and stress melting away. She looks like a seventeen-year-old girl for the first time since he's met her.

Lincoln wakes up after a little while, gently adjusting Octavia so she doesn’t wake up. Bellamy’s chest swells with a strange feeling, one he can’t even identify. He looks away. Lincoln looks at Clarke, sleeping soundly. A feeling of guilt surges inside him and he turns to look at Bellamy. His best friend and most trusted confidant’s face is unreadable.

“Bellamy, what is it?”

“Lincoln, you can’t continue doing this,” Bellamy says, looking at Lincoln.”You can’t keep doing this with my sister. You’re married, and you and Octavia’s relationship is just going to end up breaking both of your hearts, and most likely the alliance, too. You’re going to hurt Clarke and Octavia.”

“I know. I know that. But she’s my  soulmate , Bellamy. I can’t just turn off my feelings for her. Clarke doesn’t love me and I don’t love her. She doesn’t need to know.”

“You can’t do that. Clarke may not love you, and she’s most definitely doing this out of duty and nothing else, but she can still be hurt. If she can’t choose to be with someone, neither can you. She gave up everything to marry you, now it’s your turn to do the same.” Lincoln doesn’t know how to reply, and they finish the rest of the ride in silence.


	4. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy grow closer, but what will he do when she's suddenly gone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is my writing like this

When they arrive at Trikru’s main city, TonDC, servants start moving Clarke’s belongings into her new quarters. The quarters she’ll share with Lincoln, her new husband. Her new husband. The words echo in Clarke’s head. She has to continuously remind herself of the fact. Over and over. She  married Lincoln. Married him.

“Clarke? Clarke!” Lincoln’s voice yanks her from her thoughts.

“Hm? What?” Clarke asks, blinking. Bellamy’s signature smirk widens at her confused expression. 

“I asked if you’d like to be shown to our room now,” Lincoln offers, stoic. Clarke tucks her hair behind her ear.

“Oh, um, sure,” she says. She looks at Harper pleadingly, who turns away and pretends she didn’t see Clarke, biting her lip to hold back a grin. Clarke clenches her jaw. She knows what Harper is doing, and it’s not going to work. She’ll never love Lincoln, and Harper forcing her to be alone with him isn’t going to help. Lincoln turns, looking behind him until his gaze settles on Bellamy.

“Great. Bellamy, will you show Clarke to her quarters?” Clarke’s mouth drops open and her eyebrows draw together in disbelief and, not that she’d ever admit it, but hurt. She quickly reverts back to an impartial expression before anyone can see. Bellamy does, though. He sees how Lincoln just handing her off to him like a pet he doesn’t have time for hurt her, and a bubble of anger expands in his chest.

“Yeah, of course,” Bellamy says, picking up a chest and approaching the newlyweds. He nods in the direction of the castle, indicating for Clarke to follow. 

“Harper?” Clarke asks, turning to where she last saw her best friend. Harper is now over by the servants entrance, laughing as she talks to a dark haired boy. Clarke smiles at the sight of her long-time friend having fun.

“Shall we?” Bellamy suggests. Clarke turns back, the smile disappearing. 

“Yes, after you.” Bellamy grins at her and leads her to her new quarters.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Clarke slowly adjusts to her new life. Harper spends more and more time with the boy, who Clarke later learns is named Monty and is the head agricultural scientist and an engineer. Clarke doesn’t mind. She spends most of her time with Bellamy or, when she isn’t with Lincoln, Octavia. Lincoln doesn’t spend that much time with Clarke. He’s usually training or out hunting with Octavia or Bellamy. The siblings have taken a liking to Clarke and try to include her, but Lincoln seems to have little or no interest in her. 

She takes daily rides, probably her favorite part of living in Trikru instead of Arkadia. Trikru has arguably the most beautiful territories, all heavily wooded with waterfalls and swimming holes secreted away. 

Bellamy insisted that she take a guard detail with her as long as Azgeda remained a threat, but after the fourth time Clarke managed to ditch them, they fought over how he was babying Clarke. 

“Clarke!” Bellamy had exclaimed, exasperated, running a hand through his hair. “You can’t keep ditching your detail! Azgeda is still a threat, and you need to be protected.”

“Why?” She had shouted right back, angry tears stinging her eyes. “Bellamy, no one would care if Azgeda killed me! The alliance would remain intact and Octavia and Lincoln could finally be together. I’m surprised Lincoln hasn’t just handed me over yet! He should!”

“Harper would care, Octavia would care! I would care!” Clarke had clenched her jaw, trying her hardest not to cry. Bellamy’s voice grew soft and he pulled her into a hug. “Just… don’t ditch your detail anymore, ok, Princess?” 

They had finally settled on Clarke not bringing a detail as long as either Bellamy or Octavia was with her. That was a little over a week ago, and now Clarke is out with Bellamy on their daily ride, laughing about Lincoln and Octavia’s lame excuses to try and keep their relationship hidden. Last night, they claimed Octavia was teaching Lincoln poetry when they were caught in the corridors by Nate kom Trikru, Bellamy’s second in command. 

“And the other day, they were caught having a picnic in the woods, and O claimed they got ‘lost’ on their ride and just happened upon the food,” Bellamy chuckles. Clarke snorts and clicks her tongue, urging her horse to go faster. 

“I’ll race you to the bluff,” Clarke challenges, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Bellamy smirks.

“Oh you are so on, Princess.” During her time in Trikru, the nickname has become a term of endearment instead of a mockery. Clarke’s grin widens as she orders her horse faster and faster. Bellamy is right on her heels. Bellamy soon overtakes her and Clarke growls in frustration. She veers to the side, taking what she hopes is a shortcut. She races through the trees, faster and faster. Then, a dart from the trees finds its mark in Clarke’s neck. She’s thrown from the horse, hitting the ground and rolling down the hill that was on her right as she rode. Her head bangs against a rock and a fuzzy feeling spreads through her as she stops rolling.

“Be-Bellamy!” She calls out weakly. “Bellamy!” The word is barely a whisper as she sinks into blackness. 

Meanwhile, Bellamy had reached the bluff, looking around for Clarke. She had only been a little ways behind him. He frowns. 

“Princess?” He calls out. “Clarke?!” Concern creeps into his voice, a bubble of panic expanding in his chest. “ _CLARKE?!_ ” He turns his horse back around, riding back down the path, shouting her name. Her white horse bursts out of the woods right in front of him, and Bellamy narrowly avoids running into him. The bubble bursts. 

“ _**CLARKE?!** _ ” He yells. He kicks his horse and gallops in the direction Clarke’s horse came from. He rides through the trees, panic coursing through him like ice in his veins. There’s no sign of her. Bellamy rides until the sky grows dark, yelling her name. He doesn’t stop until Octavia, worried about her brother and friend, goes out looking for them. She finds him from his screams, worry making her urge her horse to go faster and faster.

She doesn’t so much find him as she almost crashes into him, having to veer suddenly to the right in order to avoid a collision.

“Bell!” She yells, as he slows to a stop, spinning his horse around to make sure she’s ok. “What the hell is going on?”

“She’s gone, O,” Bellamy says, his voice breaking. Octavia’s heart leaps into her throat. Her brother looks ten years older, worry carving lines in his ragged face. He’s been riding for hours, looking for her. Octavia jumps off her horse, walking Helios over to Bellamy and his horse. Bellamy hops down too, rubbing his face with the heel of his hand.

“Bell, what are you talking about?” Octavia coaxes, knowing not to push her big brother too hard right now. He and Clarke have grown close over the past few weeks, and Octavia knows how much they already care for each other.

The last person Bellamy cared about besides herself was Echo. And she shattered his heart. Octavia never liked her (Echo kind of stabbed her one time) but Bellamy was sure she’d changed. She hadn’t.

“Clarke, um, I- I don’t know what happened,” he sighs. “We were racing to the bluff, and then she didn’t show up. I went back to look for her and I found her horse. I-I’ve been riding for hours, she’s just… gone.”

“Bellamy, what do you mean ‘gone’?” Octavia presses, her voice cracking. Clarke can’t be gone. “People don’t just disappear, Bell. We both know what happened. Azgeda.” Bellamy snaps his head up, a stricken look on his face.

“We don’t know that, O! She could’ve just… gone for a walk and gotten lost. We’re gonna find her, she’s fine.” There’s a kind of broken, desperate hope in his words, in his eyes. He needs to believe she’s ok or else he’s never leaving the forest. Octavia nods. 

“You’re probably right. She’s fine. She’ll probably head for TonDC right? So let’s meet her there,” Octavia says. Bellamy nods, his worry and denial settling on him like a ton of bricks, pushing him down, down. Regardless, he mounts his horse as Octavia does. 

“You ride back to TonDC and inform Lincoln and Harper. I’ll find Clarke’s horse.” Bellamy nods and Octavia tears her horse around, heading in the direction Bellamy came from. It doesn’t take her long to find the white stallion, running around the forest with a crazed look in his eyes. Octavia hops off Helios, murmuring softly to the frightened horse. He eventually allows Octavia to get a hold of his reins, calming a bit. Then Octavia sees it. 

A piece of paper, tied to the saddle horn. Heart racing, Octavia slides the rolled up paper from the looped twine. She unrolls it, dreading the worst.  Lincoln Kom Trikru. Consider this the spark that starts the inferno. War has been declared. Your move. Roan Kom Azgeda.  Octavia’s heart plummets into her stomach. Azgeda took her. A note from Prince Roan himself. Crap. 

While Octavia had been looking for Clarke’s horse, Bellamy had been riding back to the castle as if the devil himself was on his heels, forcing his horse faster and faster. It had grown dark by now, but Bellamy knew this forest better than nearly anyone. He raced through the trees ‘Clarke’s gone’ echoing over and over in his head. 

He reached TonDC little over ten minutes later. He saw a stable hand and called him over as he dismounted. Normally, Bellamy would deal with his own horse, but he didn’t have time today. Once he had handed his horse over, he bolted for the castle. The guards let him through without a second thought and Bellamy ran the well known route to the war room, where he figured Lincoln would be. He burst into the room, panting. Lincoln and a few of his war advisors froze where they were, staring at Bellamy. 

“Bellamy. Finally.” Lincoln says. “You were supposed to be back hours ago.” 

“We need to talk, Linc.” Bellamy is still breathing heavily, not from physical exertion but from the heavy weight of Clarke’s disappearance pushing him down, trying to crush him. Lincoln frowns at the sight of his oldest friend’s exhausted face, lines created by worry digging deep into his forehead. 

“Get out,” he orders, turning to his council. They nod and take their leave, eyeing Bellamy curiously. “Where is Octavia?”

“Still out there.” Lincoln moves to leave but Bellamy grabs his shoulder, stopping him. “She can take care of herself.”

“Bellamy what the hell is going on?” Lincoln demands. Bellamy meets his gaze, the threat of tears burning behind his eyes. 

“Clarke’s gone.” 

“What do you mean ‘gone’?” Lincoln asks, chest constricting. He may not have loved Clarke, but he admired her determination and loyalty. He tried to distance himself so it would hurt less when she found out about him and Octavia, but Lincoln had a feeling she always knew. 

“I- I don’t know, Linc. We were racing to the bluff and she never showed. I found her horse, but…” Bellamy lets the sentence trail off, rubbing his eyes to try to physically push the tears back. Lincoln grabs his shoulder. 

“Bellamy. What. Happened. To. Clarke?” 

“I think it was Azgeda. O’s looking for her horse now.” 

“You think Azgeda kidnapped Clarke and you left Octavia out there alone?” Lincoln starts to the door, but Bellamy grabs his bicep, stopping him. Lincoln meets his gaze, a wild look in his eyes. “Let me go, Bell, I have to go find her.”

“She’s just getting Clarke’s horse and coming back. She’s a big girl, Lincoln, she’ll be fine.” Lincoln clearly isn’t happy about not going after her, but can see in Bellamy’s eyes that now is  not the time to fight him. So, instead, he nods.

“Ok. Why don’t you go get some food and when Octavia gets back we can talk about what to do next.” Lincoln suggests. Bellamy lets go of his arm but shakes his head at the proposition. 

“I’m not going anywhere until we make a plan to get Clarke back.” Lincoln sighs. 

“Bell, we don’t even know she was taken. She could just be lost. Maybe she fell off her horse and he bolted.” Lincoln walks back to the table in the center of the room. 

“Lincoln, Clarke is a good rider. She wouldn’t fall off, and even if she did I searched every inch of that forest. She’s not lost, she’s gone.” Bellamy argues. Lincoln slams his fist on the table and spins around. 

“Then what do you want me to do, Bellamy? Go to war? With Azgeda? Even with Skaicru backing us, we’ll lose.” Bellamy and Lincoln glare at each other, neither willing to give the other an inch. Their silent war for dominance is interrupted by Octavia bursting into the room, breathing heavily. 

Both boys turn in her direction. Octavia rolls her eyes. “You two are pathetic. You can practically smell the idiotic testosterone in here. We have more important problems than a pissing contest between you apes.” Octavia holds out the note and Bellamy’s heart leaps into his throat as Lincoln reaches for the paper.

Bellamy snatches it away before Lincoln can grab it. He quickly scans the note, each word seeming to add a thousand pounds to the weight pushing down on him. The weight that’s been trying to crush him ever since Clarke didn’t show up at the bluff. He looks up at Octavia, fresh tears springing to his eyes. He silently passes the note to Lincoln, who reads it and then crushes it into a ball.

“Linc, what're we gonna do?” Octavia asks, eyes wide. Lincoln sighs and leans against the table, rubbing his eyes. 

“I don’t know.”

“What the hell do you mean you don’t know?!” Bellamy shouts. “We go after her!” Lincoln meets Bellamy’s fiery gaze. 

“It’s not plausible to go to war with Azgeda.”

“We have Skaikru backing us!” Octavia argues. 

“I’ll reach out to Abby, see what she wants to do. Clarke is her daughter. It’s her choice.” Lincoln says. 

“What choice is there? We can’t leave Clarke with Roan, he’ll kill her, or worse,” Bellamy growls, angry tears stinging his eyes. Lincoln says nothing and Bellamy spins and punches the wall as hard as he can with a roar. 

“Bell…,” Octavia says softly, walking over to her big brother and setting a hand on his back. “We’ll get her back.” Bellamy turns to his little sister, tears now staining his cheeks. 

“How can you know that? Maybe they’ve already killed her,” he whispers. 

“Then they can’t use her as leverage, Bell. She’s still alive. We’ll find her,” Octavia promises. Lincoln walks to the entrance and opens the door, calling to a guard. 

“Get Harper Kom Skaikru,” he orders and then closes the door again. He turns to the siblings. “I’ll send Harper to talk to Abby. She’ll be accompanied by a detail of guards.”

“But it’ll take nearly a full day for Harper to get there and back,” Bellamy protests.

“I’ll send her with our fastest riders. Until she returns, there’s nothing more we can do, Bellamy. You should go get some food and rest,” Lincoln suggests.

“I already told you that I’m not going anywhere until we make a plan to get Clarke back.”

“And I already told you there’s nothing we can do as of now!” Lincoln shouts. Bellamy clenches his fists, the veins in his neck standing out. Octavia steps in, hoping to neutralize the situation before it can escalate any further. 

“Bellamy, you were out there riding for hours. You need a shower and a hot meal.

“I can’t just do nothing, O,” Bellamy says, his fists unclenching as the fight drains out of him.

“Running yourself ragged won’t do her any good,” Octavia argues, crossing her arms. 

“Exactly what I’m saying,” Lincoln cuts in. Octavia turns to glare at him.

“Not helping. What  _ would _ help is if you could gather the war council and start making a plan. I know we can’t do anything until we know Skaikru will back us, but you can still work on a strategy,” Octavia suggests. Lincoln sighs, rubbing his face. 

“Yeah, alright. But only if Bell agrees to go take a shower and get something to eat.”

“No, I should be at that meeting,” Bellamy argues. 

“Oh for god’s sake, Bellamy! Go take a damn shower and eat something!” Octavia shouts, pushing Bellamy out of the room. 


	5. Surprises Aren't Always Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke faces her captor and a terrifying realization follows.

Clarke’s eyes snap open. She quickly scans her surroundings, like Bellamy taught her. Her hands are bound behind her back and she’s lying on a hard dirt floor. It’s dark and cold. Maybe a cave. As part of the compromise for Clarke to ride without a detail of guards, she had to do lessons with Bellamy and Octavia. Self defense, basic survival skills, etcetera. She’d thought it was stupid at the time. Now, she’s grateful for it.

“Bellamy?” She calls out, her voice hoarse. She clears her throat. “Bellamy!” She turns her head as far to the side as she can and sees a speck of light. She opens her mouth to call out for help, but thinks better of it. They might not be an ally, and she might be safer if her captor thinks she’s still asleep. Hot tears sting her eyes. She forces herself to take deep breaths, Bellamy will come for her. He must’ve known something was wrong when she didn’t show up at the bluff. She just has to stall until he can find her. 

Then Clarke realizes something. She has no idea how long she’s been out. Maybe a day. Maybe longer. Maybe they’ve already written her off as dead. She shakes her head, forcing the thought from her head. Bellamy wouldn’t give up on her. Her thoughts are interrupted by a grunt as her captor stands up, his silhouette illuminated by the speck of light, which Clarke now sees is a fire. She arches her back and her fingers scrabble in the dirt until she finds a semi-sharp rock. Her heart thrums in her chest and she works the knot in the ropes, trying fruitlessly to free herself.

Her captor, who she can now tell is a man, starts to walk over to her. Her heart beats faster and she tries to steady her breathing, making her movements with the rock more precise. She can feel the rope fraying. He’s getting closer. She works faster, her eyes closed now. She can hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. 

  
  


The rope breaks a little more with each stroke. And then she’s free. She grips the rock like a knife and waits for her captor to get close enough for her to strike. Closer, closer… and then he’s there, right above her. Clarke’s breath catches in her throat. He kneels next to her and slaps her across the face. Hard. Clarke’s eyes snap open with a yelp. The man above her has milky skin, calf brown eyes and brown hair. He has a small scar on his upper lip. 

“About time you woke up,” he mutters, standing back up. Clarke takes the opportunity, leaping to her feet and jabbing with the rock. She aims for his head, but he lifts his arm at the last moment and her makeshift weapon bites through his sleeve and leaves a small cut in its wake. She tries again, but he’s too fast this time. He grabs her wrist before she can strike. He meets her fiery gaze cooly, his fingers squeezing her wrist tighter and tighter until she feels like it might break. She drops the rock. 

“That’s more like it,” the man mutters, dropping her wrist and turning away. “Don’t try that again.” 

“Who are you? You aren’t Azgeda.” Her captor snorts. 

“No, I'm not Azgeda,” he promises. 

“Then who are you and why did you kidnap me?” Clarke demands, less scared now. He chuckles and shakes his head, grunting as he lowers himself next to the fire. He gestures for her to sit, and she does, if rather warily. Then she sees an emblem, an emblem of death, on his T-shirt and bolts right back to her feet. 

“You’re a Mountain Man,” she whispers, hushed, eyes wide. The man smiles and holds out a hand. 

“Finn Collins. Nice to meet you.”


	6. War Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy takes dramatic steps to retrieve Clarke; Abby's a bitch. What else needs to be said?

They were right. After a shower and a quick sandwich from the kitchen, Bellamy felt refueled. But he didn’t feel better. He still had a heaviness hanging over him, one that wouldn’t leave until Clarke was safe. Now he stands in the War Room with Lincoln and his War Council. The council consists of Lincoln’s father, Jaha, no longer King but a trusted advisor still; Pike, one of his father’s closest advisors who Lincoln kept on; Indra, Octavia and Bellamy’s adoptive mother and the woman who trains all young soldiers; and finally Bellamy himself. 

“Lincoln,” Jaha is saying now, “it doesn’t make sense to waste manpower and resources going after one girl you've known for less than a month.”

“So, what, you’re saying we just leave her with the Ice Nation? They’ll kill her,” Bellamy argues. Jaha turns to meet Bellamy’s gaze evenly. 

“Yes.”

“No! I don’t give a damn if going to war with them doesn’t make sense! As soon as Harper gets back with word that Skaikru will back us, we’re going after her.” 

“Bellamy, calm down,” Lincoln orders. Bellamy clenches his teeth together, still glaring at Jaha. There’s a knock at the door and everyone looks up. 

“Come in,” Lincoln calls. Bellamy’s second in command, Miller, walks in and from the look on his face, he doesn’t come bearing good news. 

“Sir, Octavia and Harper just returned,” he says, directing his report to Bellamy. 

“Send them in,” Lincoln says. 

“There’s been a complication. They’ve brought the Queen with them.” 

“Wait, they what?” Bellamy asks, but the doors swing back open before Miller can reply and Abby strides in, Harper and Octavia in tow. Octavia has a murderous look on her face that makes Bellamy’s stomach twist. Abby regards them all cooly, nodding at Jaha and Lincoln.

“Abby. What are you doing here?” Jaha asks, silencing Lincoln with a raised hand. Lincoln may be king, but Jaha is still in charge.

“My daughter has been kidnapped under your watch. I am here to discuss what we are to do under the terms of our alliance.”

“Please, join our council,” Lincoln offers, gesturing for Bellamy to stand and give Abby his seat. They have a brief, silent argument, resulting in Bellamy begrudgingly standing up and smiling coldly at Abby, who takes the seat while eyeing Bellamy icily. Clarke’s stories of how cruel she was as a mother resulted in a deep contempt for Abby on Bellamy’s part.

“So, Abby, what do you want to do about this?” Jaha asks, folding his hands on the table as he shrugs his shoulders. She meets his gaze evenly.

“If we go to war with Azgeda, there is no guarantee we will get Clarke back and we will lose many fine warriors in our attempts,” Abby starts. “I suggest we turn her into a martyr, gain sympathy from our people and the other clans. Our alliance will stand and when we inevitably go to war with Azgeda, we will have the people’s support.”

“We can’t just leave Clarke!” Bellamy argues, earning him a sharp look from Jaha. “Nia will kill her and send us her severed head as a warning. Turning Clarke into a martyr is the coward’s play.”

“Who are you to speak to me in this way?” Abby demands, her face turning red. 

“Bellamy is my second in command,” Lincoln says. “I trust his judgment.” Bellamy nods his thank you and meets Abby’s icy gaze. 

“Well, Bellamy, if you think saving countless lives is cowardice, please, tell me your plan,” Abby says, a challenge in her eyes. 

“You send me in. Alone. I’ll find Clarke and bring her back safely,” Bellamy proposes. 

“Well, well, someone’s fond of my daughter. I will agree to this, but do you truly believe you can accomplish this by yourself?” Abby asks. Bellamy hesitates before nodding.

“He won’t be alone,” Octavia says, approaching the table from where she had stood by the door, waiting. She meets her brother’s eyes as he shakes his head at her. “I’m going with him.”

“No you are not,” Lincoln argues, standing up. Octavia glares at him.

“I’m going with Bellamy to get Clarke back,” Octavia declares. “Do you really want to try and stop me, Lincoln? You should be going to war to get her back, and if you won’t try then I will.” Lincoln doesn’t challenge her. “Bellamy, come on. Let’s go pack.” Bellamy nods at his little sister, and the siblings leave the room. 

“What the hell was that, O? You can’t come with me, it’s too dangerous,” Bellamy protests. 

“You really wanna try to stop me, Bell?” She challenges, side glancing him. He sighs and shakes his head with a rueful chuckle.

“Hey, Bell!” Someone shouts from behind them. They turn to see Miller, jogging down the hall. “I’m coming with.” Bellamy actually laughs this time.

“No way, Miller,” Bellamy says, turning and continuing down the hall. Miller grabs his arm, forcefully stopping him.

“Hey. Clarke was my friend too. I’m coming,” he insists. Bellamy searches his eyes for a minute before nodding. 

“Ok, let’s go get Clarke back. Pack and meet outside in 20,” Bellamy instructs. They nod and all separate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miller and Clarke's friendship is woefully underrated, as is Miller.


	7. The Mountain Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Told from two separate points of view, Bellamy desperately searches for Clarke while Clarke tries to get more information from her captor.

“Relax, Clarke,” Finn chuckles. “If I was gonna hurt you, I would’ve already. It’s ok, you can trust me. I’m not the enemy here.”

“I’m sorry, but as far as I’m concerned, the person who kidnaps me is generally not a friend,” Clarke bites back. 

Finn sighs. “Look, I can explain everything, and I will, but you gotta trust me.” Clarke scoffs.

“How about you justify kidnapping me and then maybe I’ll trust you,” Clarke suggests, glaring at him. Finn stands up, losing patience. Clarke steps back, further from his reach and he sighs again, throwing up his hands.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Clarke!” He shouts, exasperated. Clarke flinches backwards at the outburst, and his expression softens.

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to scare you,” Finn apologizes, sitting back down with his hands up in surrender. “There were Azgeda scouts in the trees. They were going to take you to their Queen, so I took you first.”

“Why would you do that?” Clarke asks warily. 

“Nia is ruthless. She would’ve killed you, or worse,” Finn explains. 

“That’s what my people say about the Mountain Men,” Clarke replies, narrowing her eyes. 

“Well, the fact that you’re not dead yet should tell you that I’m not.”

“That-“ Clarke frown, not able to think of a way to contradict that unarguable fact. He hasn’t killed her. “Maybe that’s only because you need me for something. Intel or something.”

“Clarke,” Finn sighs, “why can’t you just trust I saved you because I’m a good person?”

“Because you’re a Mountain Man.”

“Yeah. I am. And all you know about me is from rumors,” he snaps.

“Rumors that stem from truths,” Clarke bites back. “If you really want to prove that you’re a friend, let me go.”

“I can’t do that, Clarke,” Finn sighs.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t.”

“That doesn’t help!” She yells. He doesn’t reply, staring into the fire. Clarke scoffs. “Fine, I’m leaving.” Clarke starts to walk toward the dark tunnel she assumes is the exit. 

“I can’t let you leave, Clarke,” Finn says from behind her. Clarke doesn’t stop. Finn stands up, irritation bubbling in his chest. “Clarke, stop before I have to make you.” Clarke’s heart thrums in her chest but she doesn’t stop. Finn reaches into his satchel and pulls out a small silver gun. He aims it at the back of Clarke’s neck with a sigh and pulls the trigger.

The dart sinks deep into the back of Clarke’s neck and she gasps, reaching back. “You-” Clarke’s eyes roll back in her head. Finn is already running, sweeping Clarke into his arms before she can hit the ground.

“Sorry, Clarke,” he mutters as he lowers her to the ground. “Can’t have you messing up my plans.” 

***

Bellamy runs his hand through his hair and looks, once again, at the huge double doors. Why aren’t they here yet? He sighs impatiently and turns to check the horses tacking for the dozenth time. The longer they take, the more likely it is that Clarke’s dead. Bellamy thinks back to the council meeting and rage burns in his chest at the thought of Abby’s suggestion. She was going to just leave Clarke! Her own flesh and blood! And Lincoln wasn’t going to fight her on it. No one was. So Bellamy had to. His fists clench. If they aren’t here soon, he’s gonna punch something. Probably them. 

“Bell!” Octavia calls from behind him. He sighs and turns around. Octavia is coming down the steps, Miller not far behind. 

“Well you guys took your time,” he grumbles, hardly loud enough for them to hear. Octavia rolls her eyes.

“We’re on time, Bell. Relax,” she chuckles.

“Relax?” he echoes. “O, I can’t relax. The longer we take, the longer Clarke is with Azgeda.” Octavia sets her hand on his arm.

“We’re gonna find her, Bell,” she promises.

“How can you be sure?” Bellamy asks, tears pricking at his eyes. “What if she’s already dead?”

“She’s not dead. Now let’s go find her.” Bellamy nods and Octavia rubs his shoulder and goes to check on Helios. Miller, already on his horse and ready to go, clicks his tongue and the horse starts forward. Bellamy swings his body up into the saddle and follows Miller’s lead, Octavia close behind. 

As the pass through the gates, Bellamy looks back at the castle, takes a deep breath, and turns forward, his jaw set. He’s not coming back unless Clarke is with him. 

They ride first to where Clarke’s horse was found, heading in the direction it came from and praying to pick up a trail. They don’t.

Bellamy suddenly pulls back on the reigns, forcing his horse to stop. He jumps down from his saddle and runs over to the top of the slope. There, in the dead leaves, he finds it. A red dart. 

“Octavia!” He yells, looking up at her. She jumps off her horse and runs to him. He shows her the dart and her eyes grow wide. 

“Bell, that’s not an Azgeda dart.” She gingerly takes it from him. He says nothing, instead looking up at the trees. Then he sees them. Two figures, unconscious in the trees. He runs over and quickly scales the tree, reaching the motionless Azgeda scout in a matter of seconds. He plucks an identical dart from the man’s neck. 

“No. It’s a Mountain Man dart.”

“Bell, what would the Mountain Men want with Clarke?” Octavia asks. “Besides, we have the note from Roan. Azgeda took her, not the Mountain Men.”

“The note could be forged,” Miller adds. Octavia shoots him a look. Azgeda, they can deal with. If Clarke was taken by the Mountain Men… that’s different. They’ve never gotten anyone back from the Mountain. 

“Bell, let’s go back and regroup. If Clarke was taken by the Mountain, it’s going to take more than just us to get her back.” Bellamy shoves the scout off the branch and hops down from the tree, dart in hand.

“No. We wait for the scout to wake up and find out what he knows.” Bellamy sets to work tying the man’s hands behind his back and his ankles together. Bellamy squats back on the balls of his foot and looks up at Octavia. “We don’t go back without Clarke.”

“But Bell-” Octavia’s protest is cut off by a soft groan from the scout as he stirs. Bellamy stands up, nudging the man with the toe of his boot.

“Wake up.” The man slowly opens his eyes, blinking a couple times as he assesses his situation. His gaze lands on Bellamy and his eyes widen in fear. He rolls on his stomach and tries to wiggle away. Bellamy chuckles and grabs the scout’s hair, hauling him to his feet. Bellamy slams the man against the tree. 

“Tell me what happened here,” Bellamy growls in his face. The scout meets his gaze, saying nothing. Bellamy slams him into the tree again. 

“Tell me what happened to Clarke!” He shouts, rage burning in his chest. His fist crashes into the man’s nose. “Tell me!” Miller grabs Bellamy’s arm as he pulls back for another punch, shaking his head.

“Bell,” Octavia says softly, setting a hand on his arm. She exchanges a look with Miller, who releases his hold on Bellamy’s arm. Octavia pulls her brother away, over to where the horses are.

“What the hell was that, Bellamy?” 

“O, we have to find her. I- we have to. If she’s with Azgeda, or heaven forbid, the Mountain Men, I could be too late already. She was taken on my watch. I have to find her.”

“Ok, but beating that guy to death is not the way to do it,” Octavia scolds. 

“Then what is the way?” Bellamy shouts, tears pricking his eyes. 

“Why don’t you let me give it a shot?” 

Ten minutes later, they’re riding again. Bellamy doesn’t know what Octavia did, but whatever it was it worked. The man told them the whole story. He and his partner were sent to spy on them, on Clarke. Nia was dead and Roan was now king. He wanted a truce. They scouts were just supposed to see if they thought Lincoln would be open to that, and potentially meet with him. They weren’t going to capture her, but then they saw someone who was. A Mountain Man. He spotted them and shot them with darts and then aimed the next one at Clarke. They didn’t know anything after that. 

When Bellamy had come back from the walk he took to clear his head, The scouts were gone and so was Miller. Octavia has woken the second one and sent them to TonDC with Miller to talk to Lincoln. 

Now, he and Octavia were riding in the general direction of Mountain Men territory, praying that Clarke and her captor hadn’t made it to the Mountain yet. The scouts hadn’t known anything about the note, so why would the Mountain Man leave it?

“You ok?” Octavia asks, interrupting Bellamy’s thoughts. She’s worried about him. He’s falling apart without her. In such a short amount of time, they’d gotten so close. Bonded, connected almost. She’d only ever seen that happen with...

“Yeah,” he says, clearing his throat. 

“Bell, she was unconscious. They couldn’t have gotten far with her,” she reassures him. He looks over at her, then his expression hardens and he faces forward. 

“Maybe.” He swallows hard. He doesn’t care if they are in the Mountain already. He’s finding Clarke. No matter the cost. 


	8. Distractions and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy each make a shocking discovery while Lincoln tries desperately to distract himself.

For the second time in what Clarke assumes is a day, she groans as she opens her eyes. Disoriented and dizzy, she slowly moves her head to survey her surroundings. It’s just like the first time she woke. She’s in the same cave, Finn staring into the fire, in her back with her ankles and wrists bound. Except this time she’ll be smarter. She’ll wait until he’s asleep. 

“I know you’re awake,” he calls. Clarke’s heart races and she closes her eyes. “Your breathing pattern changed when you woke up. Faster, more erratic. Scared.” Clarke swallows hard. Dammit. “I did promise I’m not going to hurt you. Don’t you trust me, Clarke?” She bites back a retort, trying to regulate her breathing. 

“I know, you have no reason to trust me. Knocking you out probably didn’t help. But I had to. I couldn’t have you messing up my plans.” That finally peaks her interest. If she can get him talking, maybe she can find out what he’s up to. 

“No, it didn’t. And what plans? I’m in charge of nothing. Lincoln doesn’t care enough to go to war, there’s no ransom my mother would even consider paying, so what do you want with me?” Clarke presses, turning her head to look at him. 

“Lincoln may not be willing to go to war for you, but someone else is,” he says, turning to look her in the eyes. She furrows her brow in confusion. 

“My mother? She would never. Nor would any other of the clan leaders. No one cares about me that has the power to go to war.”

“That’s not true.”

“What the hell do you mean it’s not true? I think I know who my friends are.”

“Bellamy,” Finn says. Clarke’s heart leaps at the name. What did Finn have planned? “Bellamy. The bastard son of former king Jaha and half-brother of King Lincoln Kom Trikru.”

***

Lincoln paces back and forth in his room, rubbing his hands together anxiously. They left almost three hours ago and he was already freaking out. He kept having phantom pains on his mark, caused by him convincing himself Octavia is in trouble so much that he created a pain in the soulmate mark they share. He knows it’s not real, but he still wants to run out there and save her. If she’s actually in trouble, he’ll know. There’s a knock at the door and his heart leaps. Are they back? Has something happened?

“Come in,” he calls, crossing the distance to the door in four long strides. He opens the door to find Miller with his hand on the doorknob. “Where’s Octavia?”

“Not here. She’s fine, though. We found two Azgeda scouts. They claim they didn’t take Clarke, and since they were unconscious with Mountain Men darts in their necks, they have a pretty convincing story.”

“Bring them in.” Lincoln orders, finally having something to distract him from Octavia.

***

“Bellamy, we have to stop.”

“No.”

“Bell! The horses are exhausted and so am I. We’ll go on tomorrow, but we have to stop and make camp now,” Octavia insists. Bellamy sighs and turns his horse around. “I know, I know, the longer we take the more danger she’s in.”

“Yeah. With the  Mountain Men , Octavia. They’re ruthless,” he reminds her.

“Bellamy. We. Need. To. Stop.”

“Fine!” He concedes. He’s exhausted. They've been searching for almost six hours and he hasn’t slept in nearly 24 hours. Octavia sighs in relief. They hop off their horses and start tying the reins to tree branches. Suddenly, Bellamy drops the reins and doubles over with a pained groan. 

“Bellamy!” Octavia cries and runs over to him. “What’s wrong?” Bellamy just shakes his head, eyes clouded over with pain. He rips off his shirt and inspects the place the pain originates from. His soulmate mark is bright red and burning hot.  _ Together _ . 

Octavia’s eyes widen. “Oh my god, Bellamy,” she whispers, hushed. 

“Octavia, something’s wrong,” he gasps out. 

“Yeah, no shit,” she replies, earning herself a glare. “Sorry. Not helping. We don’t know who your soulmate is, Bellamy, I don’t know that there’s anything we can do.” Bellamy looks down at the ground. Octavia glares at him suspiciously. “Bellamy what aren’t you telling me?”

“It’s Clarke. Something is really really wrong.”


	9. Breakthrough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln takes steps towards a truce, while Bellamy and Clarke have a breakthrough

“Bellamy is Lincoln’s brother?” Clarke repeats incredulously. How could Bellamy have never told her? “Why would you want a war between the clans?”

“If you’re all fighting each other, your focus isn’t on us. It’ll be the perfect time for us to finally take control.” A rock settles in Clarke’s stomach. If the clans go to war, they’ll be too weak to defend themselves against the Mountain Men. She has to warn them. She’ll wait till he falls asleep and then escape. If he ever falls asleep. 

After what feels like several hours, he’s stopped moving as much and fallen silent. Clarke looks around the dimly lit cave. There, a few meters away from her, is a rock. She rolls onto her stomach with a quiet grunt. Then onto her back. She rolls until she’s just a couple feet from the rock. She bends her knees up and pushes herself forward. She bites back a victorious laugh as her fingers clasp around the rock. Again, she uses it to saw away at the ropes, keeping an eye on Finn in case he wakes up. 

The rope finally breaks and Clarke sits up, shaking with nerves, and starts untying her ankles. She continually glances over at Finn to make sure he’s still asleep. She slowly stands up. She’s free. 

She starts walking slowly, eyes glued to the exit. Almost there… almost there… and then she’s in the dark tunnel she prays is the way out. It soon gets too dark in the tunnel for her to see, so she keeps one hand on the wall. A small sound makes her spin, and there, in the dark, she sees the whites of someone’s eyes staring directly at her. She yelps as Finn slams her against the wall, his forearm across her throat. She gasps for air, pulling at his arm. 

“Finn,” she gasps out, “please.”

“What did I say about trying to escape again?” He growls, their noses almost touching. Tears brim Clarke’s eyes as she struggles to breath. Finn throws her to the ground, her head striking an unseen rock. She cries out in pain, hot tears mingling with the dirt on her face. She touches the side of her head, her fingers coming away sticky with blood. 

Finn looks down at her as the hit to her head starts to make her woozy. She struggles to keep her eyes open, whispering something he can’t hear. “Bellamy,” she whispers, “where are you? Please, help me.” And then her eyes roll up in her head. 

***

Lincoln sighs. The scouts were telling the truth, of that he’s certain. But what to do with this truth? Make an alliance with Azgeda? His people would not like that. Their long standing rivalry with the Ice Nation left many bodies in its wake. But now that it’s Roan as king and Nia is gone, maybe things could be different. 

Well, at least he was correct about being distracted from Octavia. But if Clarke was taken by the Mountain Men, Bellamy and Octavia were in a whole other kind of danger. Azgeda, maybe they could take on. The Mountain Men is a different story. Clarke is as good as dead. But Lincoln knows his half-brother well enough to know if Bellamy thinks there is even the slightest chance she’s still alive, he won’t stop looking for her until he himself drops dead. But if there’s anyone who can talk reason into him, it’s Octavia. 

“Miller!” Lincoln calls. The door swings open and in walks Miller. “Send one of the scouts back to their king. Have them tell Roan Kom Azgeda I want a meeting.”

***

“Bell, what do you mean Clarke?” Octavia demands, kneeling next to her brother. “How do you know-“

“She told me, ok? That first day she revealed she had her mark,” he grunts out, his own mark now smoking. The smell of burning flesh fills the air. 

“You’ve known that long?”

“I haven’t known, but I’ve suspected. She never actually showed it to me, but… mine arrived the same day. I was in denial for the past few weeks, but this can’t be a coincidence. Clarke is in serious danger,” he explains. 

“She’s been in serious danger for over a day, Bell, why would it just be acting up now?” 

“God, O, I don’t know but she’s hurt and-“ he cuts himself off with a shout, his eyes opening wide. 

“Bell!” Octavia sets her hand on her brother’s cheek, trying to ground him. 

“I hear her,” he whispers. 

“What?” 

  
“I can hear her, she needs my help,” he answers. _Bellamy_ , her voice whispers in his head, _where are you? Please, help me._ And then the pain is gone. Bellamy heaves in a deep breath and risks a look down to his hip. It’s totally normal. There’s no damage on or around his soulmate mark. Just like that, everything’s normal again, as if it had never happened. But as he knows nothing will ever be the same again.


	10. The Bond Between Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy and Clarke test their bond, and Lincoln learns a startling truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhhhhhh this is so bad i'm sorry

Clarke moans softly as she dragged back to consciousness. Her head throbs and a sob shakes her body. 

“Please,” she whispers. “Finn, please just let me go. I won’t screw up your plan. What else are you going to do? Keep me locked up in this cave forever?”

“No, Clarke. I’m not keeping you locked up here forever. But I’m not letting you go either.” Clarke turns her head to look at him, whimpering as she does so, pain spiking through her skull. 

“Then what are you going to do with me?”

“You’re going to the Mountain. Have you ever tried chocolate cake, Clarke? You'll love it,” Finn promises.

“No!” Clarke screams. “No, Finn, no! Please, kill me instead. Not the Mountain, please,” ignoring Clarke’s pleading, Finn walks over to her and kneels down, a cloth in hand. Clarke thrashes under his hands as he forces the gag in her mouth and ties it firmly around the back of her head. He scoops her up, one arm under her shoulders and one under her knees. He then slings her over his shoulder and starts to walk toward the exit, despite Clarke’s muffled sobs and pleas. Clarke knows the rumors about the Mountain. How long until chocolate cake turns into being hung upside down and drained for her blood? 

‘Bellamy,’ she thinks, finally realizing her feeble cries for help will get her nowhere, ‘why haven’t you found me yet? You’re running out of time, and so am I.’ She closes her eyes, tears running down her face. And then she hears it. Faint, but gradually growing louder in her head. One word. The voice she wants most to hear echoes in her head as she’s carried down the dark tunnel.

“ _ Princess _ _?_ ”

***

“Bellamy, can you say something back?” Ocatvia asks, eyes wide. It’s been rumored that if your soulmate is in mortal peril, you’ll develop a telepathic link, but only in the strongest, purest soulmate bonds. No one Octavia or Bellamy knew had ever had it. Even when their soulmate was dying, whispering their last words. But now, Bellamy heard Clarke. 

“No, I- I don’t feel her.”

“What do you mean you don’t feel her?”

“I- I don’t know. I don’t hear her, I don’t feel her.”

“Is she…” Octavia can’t bring herself to even say it, but Bellamy understands and quickly shakes his head. 

“She’s not dead. I would know. She’s not dead. Yet.”

“Then what happened?”

“She might’ve just passed out. O, all I know is that she’s hurt, she’s scared, she’s alone with at least one Mountain Man, and there’s nothing I can do.”

“Yes there is. You can sleep.”

“No way I am not-”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Bell, you’re no use if you drop dead form exhaustion. Just sleep an hour, then we’ll go. Promise.” Bellamy wants to argue with her, to keep going until he dropped, but every muscle in his body screams in protest at him trying to stand up. 

“Half an hour. And, O, if you let me oversleep, I’m leaving you here,” Bellamy warns. Octavia nods, knowing her brother is going to stop at nothing to get to Clarke. To his soulmate.

***

Lincoln paces back and forth in the War Chamber, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Roan. Lincoln is doing this meeting alone, despite his father's wishes. It’s just going to be him and Roan. There’s a rap at the door. Lincoln’s head snaps in that direction. 

“Come in,” he calls out. The doors swing open and in walks Roan Kom Azgeda, King of the Ice Nation. “Roan. Thank you for agreeing to meet here. I was sorry to hear about your mother.”

“No you were not. No one was saddened by her passing. Not even me. She was a cruel woman who should have died sooner. I aim to rectify her mistakes as much as I can,” Roan says, getting right to it. Lincoln nods and gestures to the table, taking a seat. Roan sits down opposite him and both men silently size the other up. 

“Why were your scouts in my woods, Roan?” 

“I believe my scouts already explained themselves, so let’s not waste time on questions that have already been answered,” Roan replies coolly. Lincoln nods, willing to concede. 

“I want to be friends, Roan. I want a truce. I don’t wish to follow in our parents’ footsteps. But I need a sign of good faith from you first.”

“And what might that be?”

“Currently, two of my best warriors are tracking my Queen, attempting to rescue her from the Mountain Men. I want you to help,” Lincoln says, watching the other man’s reaction. Roan’s face remains impassive, his eyes guarded as he contemplates Lincoln’s request. 

“The Mountain? No one has ever returned, Lincoln. What makes this girl so special?” A glint in Roan’s eyes gives away the fact he knows something and Lincoln frowns. 

“I have the feeling you know,” Lincoln responds. 

“My scouts have been watching for a couple weeks. They’ve noticed things.”

“Like what, Roan?”

“So you want my help rescuing your Queen from the Mountain? You realize the absurdity of this request, of course,” Roan says, changing the subject. 

“We have reason to believe she isn’t at the Mountain yet. She was unconscious when they took her, and the Mountain is a couple days walk from here. Octavia and Bellamy are tracking them, but they need back up.” 

“Of course. I assume they’ll stop at nothing to get Clarke back. I wouldn’t either. Bellamy and I are linked in that way. Neither of us would stop until we had rescued our soulmate.” Lincoln’s chest constricts as he realizes the meaning behind Roan’s words. Clarke is Bellamy’s soulmate. 


	11. Shocking Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln and Octavia make a discovery that changes everything. Bellamy and Clarke have a few surprises of their own.

Bellamy’s eyes snap open. He jumps to his feet and runs to Octavia, who’s leaning against a tree while she sharpens her sword. 

“Octavia, she’s back!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“She’s- I can hear Clarke again!” Octavia’s eyes widen. 

“What’s she saying?” Bellamy groans and hold his head between his hands, the psychic link giving him a headache that feels like it’s splitting his head in two. "She’s asking why I haven’t found her yet. She says that I’m running out of time… and so is she." 

“Say something back!” Octavia urges. Bellamy closes his eyes and breathes deeply.

‘ _Princess?_ ’

‘ _Bellamy?_ ’

“She answered,” Bellamy whispers. Octavia’s eyes widen and she gestures for him to continue. 

“Clarke?” He says out loud. “Are you alright? Where are you?”

‘ _I- I’m alright. I don’t know where I am. A Mountain Man took me. It’s just him. He’s taking me to the Mountain. Bellamy, the Ice Nation didn’t take me. The Mountain Men stageD it to look like they did. They want a war. They’re finally making their move to take over. They think that if a war weakens us, they can finally take control.’_ __

Bellamy relays everything Clarke says to Octavia, whose frown grows with each word. “Clarke, I’m going to come get you. Octavia will go back to TonDC and warn Lincoln.” Octavia shakes her head vigorously, and Bellamy turns his attention to her. “O, you have to go. I’ll get Clarke back and you prevent a war. I’ll be fine. You should go now.” Octavia hesitates a minute longer, then nods. She hugs Bellamy and then unties Helios, hops on his back, and starts galloping back the way they came. 

“I’m coming Clarke,” Bellamy whispers, mounting his own horse. “Just hold on.”

‘ _Hurry, Bellamy_ , ’ Clarke whispers in his mind. He spurs on his horse until it breaks into a gallop. 

“Clarke, do you have any idea where you are? Anything that might help me find you?”

_ ‘I don’t know, Bell. I still don’t know all of Trikru’s territory. Hell, I don’t even know I’m still in Trikru. I woke up in some cave, and now we’re walking down a tunnel. Bellamy, what if you can’t find me? He’s taking me to the Mountain, Bell, I can’t go to the Mountain _ ,’ Clarke rambles as Bellamy rides through the trees, towards the place he’s been warned to stay far away from since infancy.

“Ok, you just have to let me know what you see when you get outside. I know several caves like the one you described. Once you’re outside, it’ll be easier to narrow it down. I’m just heading toward the Mountain,” Bellamy says. Clarke doesn’t respond for a minute, but right before panic starts to set in, Bellamy hears her voice.

‘ _ Bellamy… we’re outside. ’ _

***

“And how did you come across this information, Roan?” Lincoln asks, trying to look unsurprised. Roan smirks. 

“That’s not important. What is important is that if you don’t send Bellamy some backup, he’ll die out there. You can use my personal guard, they are already here.” Lincoln’s brow furrows, confused by Roan’s sudden willingness to help. 

“Why are you willing to risk your personal guard for my queen?”

“Like I said, Lincoln. I want to do better than my mother. Perhaps this can be the first step.” Roan extends a hand and Lincoln takes it, signifying the beginning of their journey to peace. 

“Lincoln!” Octavia pants, bursting into the room. Her eyes widen when she sees who he’s with, but she moves on quickly. “I need to talk to you. Both of you.”

“Octavia, what the hell are you doing?” Lincoln demands, stepping forward. “You can’t just barge in here.”

“Since when? I have to talk to both of you. It’s important.” Lincoln looks back at Roan, who nods in response. Lincoln sighs and gestures for Octavia to join them. 

“Alright, what’s so important?”

“We found Clarke.” Lincoln’s jaw clenches and his chest tightens in anticipation. “Well, we didn’t exactly find her. But… Bellamy heard her.” Lincoln scoffs. 

“Octavia, what do you mean he ‘heard’ her?” Roan asks. Lincoln frowns. 

“Obviously Bellamy is so desperate to find her, he’s starting to think he can hear her,” Lincoln sighs. Octavia shakes her head. 

“No, Linc, he actually  heard her. Clarke is his soulmate, Lincoln,” Octavia says quietly, looking down. After a second she looks back up, a confused frown on her face at their lack of surprise. Instead, Lincoln just shakes his head at her, 

“Octavia, the telepathic link between soulmates is just urban legend. You know that.”

“Apparently not. Lincoln, I saw it. His soulmate mark started burning. Like smoking, red hot burning. And then he said he heard her. I’ve never seen anything like it. The link exists,” Octavia insists.

“She’s correct.” Roan speaks up. “The soulmate link exists.”

“Have you seen it before?” Lincoln asks. 

“No. I’ve experienced it.” Roan pulls up his shirt, revealing his mark.  **_Together_ ** is written across his hip.

Octavia steps back, eyes wide. “That’s not possible,” she whispers. “That’s not possible.” Lincoln frowns, brow furrowed. “Tha-that’s Bellamy and Clarke’s mark.”

“Roan, explain this,” Lincoln demands.

“What exactly am I supposed to explain?” Roan asks, dropping his shirt. Lincoln shifts so that he’s in between Octavia and Roan. 

“Why you have the same soulmate mark as two other people. It’s not supposed to be possible,” Octavia says, stepping around Lincoln to confront Roan. 

“Not according to legend,” Roan says. “It’s extremely rare, and I’ve never seen it, but it’s said that a person can have more than one soulmate. But not for long. It’s said that once two choose each other, the third loses their mark. They no longer have a soulmate. There can't be any indecision in their heart. They must fully choose one.”

“So that’s why you were so willing to help rescue Clarke,” Lincoln realizes. Roan says nothing. Octavia frowns, until it dawns on her. 

“You want to get to Clarke first. So she chooses you instead of Bellamy,” Octavia accuses. Roan shrugs, not denying nor confirming the accusation. 

“Regardless of my intentions, my warriors are well-trained and ready to go now. Bellamy needs help,” Roan reminds them. Lincoln and Octavia exchange a look. Lincoln sighs. 

“Alright, send your men. Tell them to head toward the Mountain.”

“Send them? No, no I’m going with them. My psychic link with Clarke could be the only way we find her,” Roan says. Lincoln rubs his hand across his head, realizing there’s no other choice. He can’t let Bellamy go in alone; he’ll die. 

“Be ready to leave in twenty minutes.”

***

Clarke breathes deeply, trying to calm herself. After leaving the dark cave, they had emerged into the forest, the night sky barely visible through the trees. Bellamy had asked where she was. The problem was, she didn’t know. There was nothing but trees. Bellamy had told her to keep an eye out for anything that could point to where she is. So she did. 

Finn has been carrying her for at least half an hour through the trees, and she’s starting to lose faith that Bellamy will finds her in time. Then she sees it. 

‘ _Bellamy_ ,’ she thinks, ‘ _there’s a statue_.’

‘ _What kind of statue_?’ His reply is immediate. 

‘ _I’m not sure. One of the old presidents maybe? He’s sitting on a throne, so maybe a king_?’ A pause. Then,

‘ _I know where you are. I’m coming, just hold tight_.’


	12. Out of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Bellamy be able to get to Clarke in time, or will she be lost to the Mountain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is really short but it's because I want to torture you so,,,,,

Bellamy rides faster than he thinks he’s ever ridden before. Now that he knows where she is, nothing is getting in between him and finding her. The statue she described is a marker of the northernmost corner of Trikru’s territory.

“Clarke?” He asks, just to make sure she’s still there. 

‘ _I’m here_ ,’ she replies. 

“I’m maybe an hours ride from you. Slow him down however you can,” Bellamy urges. 

‘ _I’ll try. Bellamy, please hurry. I can’t go to the Mountain_ ,’  she pleads. Bellamy feels tears sting his eyes at the hopelessness in her voice. 

“Don’t worry, Princess. As long as I have any say in it, you never will,” he promises, praying he’ll be able to keep his word. 

***

“Finn, please. Just five minutes,” Clarke pleads around her gag. Finn sighs. 

“Alright, five minutes. No tricks,” Finn growls. She nods and Finn takes her off his shoulder, dropping her unceremoniously on the ground. She sighs in relief at being on solid ground, at not being bounced up and down, Finn’s shoulder not digging into her stomach. 

“Water?” She mumbles around her gag. Finn sighs and pulls out his water skin, pulling Clarke’s gag down to around her neck. Clarke drinks thirstily, but Finn takes it away all too fast. 

“You have three minutes,” Finn says, sitting down a few feet away. 

“You don’t have to take me to the Mountain, Finn,” Clarke whispers. Finn glares at her. 

“Shut up,” he growls. Clarke sighs and stares up at the sky, stars glittering like diamonds.

“How long will I have?” she asks. She can feel Finn’s eyes on her, but she continues. “Until they kill me? How long will I be kept in a cage like an animal? How long after I leave it will I live?”

“I  _ said _ shut up,” Finn replies. Clarke feels tears sting her eyes and she bites her lip in a fruitless attempt not to cry. A tear trails down her face, then another. She squeezes her eyes shut.

“It’s time to go,” Finn says. Clarke opens her eyes and looks over at him, watching as he steps up and approaches her. He gets close to her, and Clarke goes limp. He growls softly and steps over her. 

“Clarke, don’t make this harder than it has to be.” She glares at him and relaxes into the ground. She sure as hell isn’t going to help him kidnap her. 

He leans down to pick her up, and Clarke strikes. She kicks her feet out, hitting him squarely in the ankle, which turns at an unnatural angle. Finn crashes to the ground. She smirks up at him as he shouts in pain. “Guess we’ll be staying here a little while longer, huh?” 

Finn roars, pure rage clouding his eyes, and a cold hand of fear grips Clarke, sending shivers down her spine. She hadn’t considered what would happen after she crippled him. Before she can try and talk her way out of it, Finn is kneeling over her and his hands are around her throat, squeezing tighter and tighter. 

“Finn,” she chokes out, tears pouring from her eyes, wide with fright. “You can’t- you need me.” But Clarke isn’t so sure he needs her enough. She isn’t even sure Finn still remembers who she is. All she can see is rage painted on his face as black spots appear in her vision. She tries to scream for help, for _Bellamy_ , but nothing comes out. Her arms are still tied under her back as she writhes beneath him. And then she’s wishing it would just end, that she could just sink into the ground and all the pain and suffering would be over… and everything turns black as she feels the earth swallow her up.

“ **CLARKE!** ” Someone shouts.


	13. The Head and The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't really do a summary without spoiling, sorry

Finn looks up, loosening his hands just slightly. Faced with Roan, Lincoln, Octavia, and seven of Roan’s warriors, he jumps to his feet and Clarke’s head lolls to the side. Finn reaches to his thigh and unholsters his gun, aiming it directly at Lincoln. Everyone in the rescue party unsheathes their sword and Finn shakes his head.

Octavia’s eyes are glued to Clarke, her jaw set, eyes brimming with tears. Then, from the trees an arrow whistles through the air. Finn turns just in time for it to find it’s mark directly between his eyes. With a gurgle, he falls, dead, to the ground. 

Bellamy jumps down from the tree and throws the bow aside, running to Clarke and cupping her face in his hands. Her eyes stay shut and a rock settles in Bellamy’s stomach. 

“Clarke. Clarke!” Bellamy blinks away the tears stinging his eyes. “No,” he whispers. “No!” He stares at her, tears blurring his vision as Roan, Lincoln, and Octavia run over. Bellamy stands up and staggers backwards, hands running through his hair as the grief tries to crush him down into the ground. Then he remembers something Clarke told him one time when he asked her how she could give up finding her soulmate and instead marry Lincoln, only a couple days before all this started, before he lost her. 

They had been sitting in Clarke’s room, comparing old books they’d read in an attempt to try and keep Clarke’s mind off the fact that Lincoln was off on another trip… with Octavia. They were talking about a book Clarke’s mother gave her for her sixteenth birthday when Bellamy couldn’t take it anymore.

“Clarke, why did you marry him?” He had blurted, interrupting her. “You got your soulmate mark, you know there’s someone out there, meant for you. So why would you marry Lincoln, instead of finding them?” Clarke had been unfazed by his sudden outburst. 

“Because,” Clarke had said, “I thought with my head, not my heart. I made the logical decision.” She’d shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but Bellamy had disagreed.

“The logical decision? Don’t you ever just… follow your heart?” Clarke smirked at him.

“I have you for that, don’t I?” He’d grinned.

“Always, Princess. Now, tell me more about the head and the heart. I’m willing to bet you read at least one book about that kind of stuff.” Clarke had smiled, and her eyes lit up like they always did when she was talking about something she loved.

“I actually had a whole shelf dedicated to medical books. There was this one quote about the relationship between the head and the heart that always stuck with me-”

“‘Once the head stops telling the heart to beat, it’s all over’,” Bellamy mutters now. Clarke’s head has stopped telling her heart what to do. But that’s what she has him for. 

“What?” Octavia asks. Bellamy looks up at them.

“It’s something Clarke told me. She also taught me what you’re supposed to do if that happens.” Bellamy puts one hand over the other and places them right above her heart. He starts pressing down on her chest in a steady rhythm. He’s about to give up, tears streaming down his face.

Then Clarke sucks in a deep breath and opens her eyes. “Princess,” Bellamy whispers, hushed.

“Bellamy,” she whimpers. And then one of his hands is around her head and another is under her back and he’s pulling her to him in a crushing hug. She cries into his shoulder as the hand on her back grabs a knife from his boot and cuts through the ropes binding her wrists. Her arms wrap around his neck and he pulls her closer.

“Don’t ever scare me like that, Princess,” he sighs into her hair, chuckling slightly.

“Not planning on it,” she replies, smiling tearfully. Bellamy pulls away and is immediately replaced by Octavia. Clarke laughs softly and hugs her back. Then Octavia stands up and helps Clarke to her feet. Clarke looks over at Lincoln and Roan and her heart stops for the second time that day. 

“Roan?” She whispers. Octavia, Bellamy, and Lincoln exchange a confused look as she surges forward and jumps into his arms, throwing hers around his neck as he catches her with one hand splayed across her shoulder blades and the other firmly holding her by the small of her back. 

“Thank god you’re ok, Wanheda,” Roan says. Clarke shakes her head at the old nickname as Roan sets her down. 

“How are you here?” Clarke asks, a smile plastered across her face. “I thought-”

“Nia’s dead,” Roan says. Clarke’s eyes widen.

“Roan… I’m so sorry.” Roan smiles and meets Clarke’s gaze. She more than anyone doesn’t need to be sorry Nia is gone.

“Don’t be. You know who she was. She deserved a less peaceful ending than she got,” he replies. Clarke doesn’t look away until someone clears their throat from behind her. She turns to look at the others, cheeks flushed and a wide smile still plastered across her face.

“You two know each other?” Lincoln asks as Octavia glare daggers at Roan, whose hand is still on the small of Clarke’s back. Clarke frowns, confused.

“Yeah, Roan and I have known each other since we were kids. We used to be… great friends.” Bellamy’s heart clenches at the pause before she said they had been friends.

“Roan, can I speak to you for a moment?” Octavia asks. Her voice is honey-sweet, but her eyes are ice. Clarke looks up at Roan questioningly, but he just smiles and moves his hand up to her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. He nods to Octavia and gestures for her to lead the way. 

Octavia exchanges a look with Lincoln then spins on her heel and walks off into the woods, Roan following suit. Clarke watches them go, frowning. She turns as Bellamy walks up to her, her frown melting into a relieved smile as his strong arms wrap around her. She closes her eyes and lets herself relax into the hug.

“You came for me,” she whispers. Bellamy’s arms tighten around her. 

“Always will,” he murmurs into her hair.

“Thank you.” Bellamy rubs her arm in an attempt to comfort her. A shudder runs through her body and he tightens his arms around her. “I- I thought I would never see you again, Bellamy. He was going to…” She can’t even bring herself to say it. He moves one hand to the back of her neck.

“I know, Princess. I know,” he whispers. “I would never let anything happen to you.” She squeezes him once then lets go. Bellamy steps back, squeezing her arm. She shivers again and he glances down at her dress, now torn and muddy nearly everywhere. He takes off his jacket and drapes it around her shoulders.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Bellamy asks, obviously concerned.

“I… I don’t know,” Clarke answers, meeting his eyes, hoping he doesn’t press her further. Seeing the fragility in her eyes, he swallows the follow up questions clawing their way up his throat. 

“Let’s get you back to TonDC,” he says instead. She nods and Bellamy turns to Lincoln. “I’m taking Clarke back. When Octavia and Roan are done meet us there.” Lincoln nods, knowing better than to fight Bellamy on this. 

“Come on, Clarke,” Bellamy says, setting a hand on her lower back, gently guiding her towards the woods where his horse waits patiently. Bellamy jumps on the horse and offers Clarke a hand. She accepts it, her hand painfully small in his, and he helps her up in front of him. She relaxes back against him, pulling the coat tighter around herself. 

“Let’s go home,” she says, a small smile growing on her face at the idea of returning to TonDC. Bellamy smiles widely and flicks the reins. The mare immediately perks up, going slowly through the trees. “I’m not disabled, Bellamy,” Clarke teases. He smirks and squeezes his legs, the horse speeding up by the second until she’s nearly galloping through the trees. Bellamy glances at Clarke, whose face has lit up at the adrenaline racing through her. She leans further back into him, feeling like she’s flying.


	14. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia deals with Roan and Clarke finally returns home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooow I'm just,,,, sorry for this monstrosity

“You  _ asshole _ !” Octavia shouts, turning and punching Roan, hard, in the arm as soon as they’re out of earshot of the others. “You manipulated me to get to Clarke. You knew her the whole time!”

“Yes I did. Clarke has been there for me my whole life,” Roan says calmly. “All I wanted was to make sure she was safe, I swear. If she chooses Bellamy, she chooses Bellamy. But… I couldn’t let anything happen to her.” Octavia’s brow furrows.

“What exactly happened with you two?” she asks. Roan takes a deep breath.

“Our mothers were… cruel women, Octavia. There were several times I found refuge with Clarke. We had a place, a secret bunker in the woods. There were times I stayed there for days on end. She would bring me food and water, talk to me.” 

“Sometimes she would stay there and I would do it for her,” Roan explains. “It wasn’t until I found out Clarke had been taken that I realized my safe place was never the bunker, it was  her . I couldn’t stand idly by while she was in danger. Lying to you was the only way. I’m sorry.”

“Well she’s safe now. So you can go,” Octavia growls. She starts to walk past him, but he stops her with a hand on her wrist.

“I’m not going anywhere, Octavia. Clarke deserves to know that she has a choice to make. That she gets to decide who to end up with.”

“You better be ready for the fight of your life then,” she threatens. Roan smirks at her and releases her wrist, watching as she walks away. He’s ready to fight for Clarke if he has to. 

***

“Hey,” Bellamy whispers, nudging Clarke. “We’re here.” About halfway through the ride, Clarke had snuggled back against him and drifted off, physically and emotionally exhausted. She slowly opens her eyes, lifting her back off his chest.

“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I guess I was just really tired,” Clarke apologizes. Bellamy smiles as he hops down from the horse, one hand on her waist steadying Clarke. He holds out his hand to help her down. She turns and places her hands on his shoulders. He grabs her waist and helps her down as a stable hand walks over to take the horse. Bellamy’s hands linger on Clarke’s waist for a moment longer, then he drops them to his sides, clearing his throat.

“Clarke!” Harper exclaims, running to the. Bellamy spins, stepping away from Clarke as Harper nears them, stopping just before running into Clarke. 

“Thank god you’re ok,” Harper whispers, pulling Clarke into a bone-crushing hug. Clarke laughs quietly. 

“I’m fine, Harper,” Clarke promises. Bellamy frowns and looks to Harper.

“No, she’s not. She needs food, a bath, and to sleep for about three days,” he says. Clarke turns to him, mouth open to protest, but the sudden movement makes the world spin. She staggers, lightheaded. Bellamy catches her by the elbows as she stumbles. 

“What was that, Clarke?” Bellamy teases. She smacks him lightly. 

“I’m just a little tired.”

“Clarke you’ve been gone for three and a half days. Did he give you anything at all to eat?” Bellamy asks. Clarke sighs defeatedly. “I didn’t think so.” In one smooth motion, Bellamy scoops Clarke up into his arms and starts walking toward the steps.

“Bellamy what are you doing?” Clarke exclaims. “Put me down!”

“I don’t think so, Princess. You turned around and almost passed out. You really wanna try walking up all these stairs?” Clarke sighs in surrender and leans against his chest, eyes closed. Bellamy looks down at her. She’s light. Too light. Bellamy’s stomach twists with worry at the fact that he can feel her shoulder blades pressing into his arm. Her skin is pale and drawn tight across her cheek bones. Harper hurries along behind them, her eyes glued to her friend, eyebrows drawn together in concern.

“Over there,” Harper says as they enter Clarke’s room. Bellamy carries Clarke to the bed and sets her down. Her eyes snap open and she shifts to a seated position, her crystal blue eyes alert and attentive. Harper goes into the bathroom and starts to run the bath 

“I’m gonna go find you some food, ok?” Bellamy squeezes her hand then turns to walk away. She catches his wrist before he gets too far and he looks back at her. A raw look of vulnerability has replaced her usual confidence. 

“Promise you’ll come back?” She asks quietly. 

“Of course, Princess,” he promises. Harper comes out of the bathroom and looks at Clarke and Bellamy. Clarke releases his hand and he leaves the room as Harper helps Clarke make her way to the bathroom. 


	15. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke finds out about Roan. But how can she decide between two of the most important people in their life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry

Bellamy makes his way to the kitchen, feeling like a physical weight has lifted off him. Every few minutes, he has to remind himself that Clarke is safe in her room. All he can think about is how helpless she seemed in his arms, gaunt and frighteningly light. Who knows what happened to her when she was with Finn? Then he sees something that throws his concern for Clarke out the window: Roan walking down the hall, now dressed only in a shirt and pants, headed for Clarke’s room with a determined look on his face. Bellamy steels himself as the two approach each other. He stops in front of Roan and crosses his arms.

“We really gonna do this?” Roan asks.

“Apparently. You need to leave her alone,” Bellamy insists. Roan scoffs. 

“Let’s ask Clarke what  _ she _ wants, shall we?” Roan suggests, moving to walk past Bellamy, who stops him with a firm hand on his arm. He meets Roan’s gaze. 

“I don’t trust you, and I definitely don’t trust you when it comes to Clarke.”

“I understand that, Bellamy. You feel threatened by me. But Clarke and I have a history and you sure as hell aren’t going to keep me away from her right now,” Roan growls.

“I know you two grew up together or something, but Clarke doesn’t need anymore stress right now and all you being there is gonna do is stress her out even more,” Bellamy argues. 

“You’re right. She doesn’t need stress. She needs her  _ family _ .” With that, Roan pushes past Bellamy. Bellamy takes a deep breath and continues on his way to the kitchen.

***

Roan raises a fist and raps lightly at Clarke’s door. He hears scuffling sounds from inside, and then a call,

“Who is it?” The frailty in Clarke’s voice makes a cold spike stab through Roan’s heart. He clears his throat.

“Clarke? It’s Roan,” he calls through the door. 

“Come in.” Roan opens the door and walks in. He glances around her quarters, and can’t help grinning. It’s all so  _ her _ . The shelves of books, the noticeable lack of animal skins. The white lacy curtains covering the enormous windows. He walks over to them and pushes aside the fabric to look at the view. It’s breathtaking and exactly what Clarke loves; a beautiful view of the forest, and beyond that, the white-capped mountains.

“Roan?” A voice calls from behind him. He turns around, dropping the surtain. Clarke grins at him from the bathroom doorway, looking comfortable in worn sweatpants and an over-large sleep shirt, her wet hair pulled over one shoulder. “Enjoying the view?” He grins.

“Not nearly as good as this one,” he teases. She rolls her eyes. “You should be in bed, Clarke.”

“I’m fine, Roan. Bellamy’s getting me food and he made Harper run me a hot bath. I didn’t want to stay in very long, so I told Harper to go find Octavia. Did you run into Bellamy?” Roan hesitates to answer, then nods. Clarke winces. “He means well,” she insists, tugging at her shirt. Roan’s eyes flick to the movement, then up to meet Clarke’s gaze. 

“His shirt?”

“Bellamy is my best friend, Roan. When I first came here, he was my  _ only _ friend-”

“He clearly cares about you, Clarke. He went after you alone,” Roan says. Clarke’s eyes draw together. 

“He what? I can’t believe he would do something so stupid!” she exclaims, pressing a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. “He never told me that he was alone.”

“What do you mean ‘told you’?” Roan asks. Clarke’s mouth drops open in a silent ‘oh’ as she struggles to think of an answer. She’s saved by a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” she calls, breaking her gaze away from Roan. Octavia walks in, smiling as she sees Clarke. Then she spots Roan and her eyes narrow. Clarke looks between them, brows furrowed. She quickly returns to a neutral expression. “O, I can’t believe you let Bellamy go alone,” Clarke scolds, breaking through the tension. Octavia scoffs.

“ _ Let _ him? Please, there was no stopping him. The only reason he stopped even to rest is because I made him. Before he sent me home, that is,” she adds bitterly. Clarke chews on her thumbnail, shaking her head. 

“I can’t believe he did something so dumb,” she mutters to herself, ignoring Octavia staring daggers at Roan, who’s watching Clarke. 

“Who are you calling stupid, Princess?” Bellamy says, leaning against the doorframe, his signature smirk dancing on his lips. Clarke’s mouth drops open and her eyebrows draw together. She marches over to him poking him in the chest. 

“You, dumbass. You came after me alone! How could you do something so reckless, Bell?!” she scolds. He chuckles at her, and her frown deepens. 

“Glad to see you’re feeling better, Princess,” he teases. She scowls at him. “Oh, c’mon. You can’t actually be mad about this. I brought a peace offering.” Bellamy takes his hand out from behind his back, presenting a tray with a glass of water, bowl of soup, and sandwich. Clarke’s mouth waters and her stomach grumbles audibly. 

“We are not done talking about this,” she says, taking the tray. 

“Understood,” Bellamy replies with a smirk. Clarke fights, and fails, to keep the grin off her face. Bellamy gestures to the tray. “Got your favorites. Chicken pesto sandwich and lentil soup, which I’ll never understand why you like.” 

“Thank you,” Clarke says. Bellamy just nods 

“Ok well how about you and Roan vamoose so Clarke and I can talk without the weird male posturing?” Octavia suggests. Bellamy smirks at her and glances over at Roan, his expression tightening. Octavia rolls her eyes and marches over to Roan, dragging him by the elbow, “Maybe I was too polite-”

“Not something you’ve ever been accused of, O,” Bellamy cuts in. Octavia shoots him a dirty look, but continues,

“Maybe I was too polite. What I meant to say was; ‘Get out’.” With that, she pushes the boys out of the room and swings the door shut.

Octavia spins around and fixes her gaze on Clarke, who’s still standing with her mouth open and her eyebrows drawn together in a bewildered expression, as if she’s not entirely sure what just happened. Octavia smirks and takes the tray from her, jumping on the bed and patting the spot beside her.

“C’mon. Bell’s right, you need to eat. And as your second-best friend, it’s my job to make sure you do,” Octavia insists. Clarke rolls her eyes.

“O, you know I love you both the same,” she counters. Octavia raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t argue. Clarke walks over and sits next to Octavia, grabbing the sandwich. She studies Octavia with an expectant gaze as she takes a bite of the sandwich. She sighs happily. 

“God, Monty knows how to make a good sandwich,” she mumbles, covering her mouth with her hand. Octavia chuckles. 

“Actually, Monty wasn’t there. When I passed the kitchen, Bell was making it,” Octavia explains. Clarke frowns as she swallows her food. 

“But Bell doesn’t cook,” she counters. Octavia raises her eyebrow again and a blush rushes to Clarke’s cheeks. “Come on. You know we have to talk about it. You created a literal psychic bond with him. That means something.”

“O, he’s my best friend. He’s known about my mark since the first day we met. If he had gotten his the same day, he would’ve told me.”

“But he did, Clarke. He got his that morning, too. He didn’t tell you because he didn’t want to give you another thing you had to deal with.” Clarke’s eyes widen and her mouth drops open. 

“How could he not tell me? Especially after what just happened.” Clarke moves to stand, but Octavia stops her with a hand on her wrist. 

“Because… it’s not that simple. You know how the telepathic link is supposed to just be an urban legend? Well, there’s another…” Octavia waits until it dawns on Clarke. 

“Oh my god. Three people with the same mark.” She fixes her gaze on Octavia. “So who’s the third?”

Octavia won’t meet Clarke’s gaze, and a sinking feeling settles in Clarke. “Oh my god,” she whispers as it dawns on her. “It’s Roan. That’s why he found me so quick. That’s why he keeps trying to talk to me. And that’s why whenever you’re in the same room as him you glare at him like he killed your horse.” Octavia snickers, but her expression quickly turns serious as she finally looks at Clarke. 

“Yeah. It’s Roan. You know what this means, right?” Clarke sighs heavily and nods. 

“I’ve got an impossible choice to make,” she answers. Octavia reaches over and sets her hand on Clarke’s knee. 

“Yeah. You do. But I’m here to help. Or talk. Or whatever you need,” she promises. 

“How on Earth am I going to make this choice? If I choose Roan, I’m going to lose Bellamy. And if I choose Bell, I’ll lose Roan.” Clarke buries her head in her hands with a groan. 

“Clarke,” someone stays softly from the door. Both girls turn to look. It’s Bellamy, just barely inside the door. “Sorry, I just wanted to…. doesn’t matter.” He walks over to Clarke and takes her hand. “You will never lose me, Princess. You’re kind of stuck with me now.”

“But Bell, I can't choose. I love you both. I-“ 

“You should go with Roan,” Bellamy blurts. A wounded look flashes across Clarke’s face, quickly followed by confusion. “Lincoln will honor the alliance with Skaikru. And you marrying Roan will give us Azgeda as an ally. Besides, you’ll be better protected there if the Mountain comes after you again.”

“Bell-,” Bellamy cuts Clarke off with a kiss to her forehead. He squeezes her hand and stands to leave. Clarke opens her mouth to say something, but the words never get out. Tears prickle her eyes and she quickly swipes them away. 


	16. Torn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even after Bellamy telling her to choose Roan, Clarke still feels that something's wrong. Octavia refuses to accept her brother's sacrifice, and Roan worries about Clarke's relationship with Bellamy.

Somehow, Bellamy manages to hold it together until he’s left Clarke’s room. As soon as he’s out of earshot, he slams his fist against the wooden wall, shouting in pain and frustration. He hits its again, softer this time. He leans his head against the wood. 

“Why the hell did I do that?” He mutters to himself. He knows the answer, though. Because it’s what’s best for her. She’ll be better protected. And… she was in pain. Making the choice was going to tear her apart, and she’s been through enough. This way at least she’ll be safe and happy. 

“Bellamy,” a voice says from down the hall. He straightens, turning to find himself face to face with Roan. “What happened? Is Clarke ok?”

“Yeah,” Bellamy sighs. “She found out. Octavia told her.” Roan’s expression hardens and he starts to walk past Bellamy. Bellamy holds out a hand, stopping him. He meets Roan’s gaze evenly. “I told her to go with you.” Roan frowns, confused. 

“Why would you do that?”

“Just take care of her, ok?” Bellamy says. Roan nods, and Bellamy drops his hand. Roan continues on his way to Clarke’s room, and every step he takes feels like it land on Bellamy’s chest. He leans back against the wall, sliding down it till he’s sitting on the ground, head pitied in his hands. 

“Bell!” Octavia shouts as she storms down the hall. He looks up with a sigh. “Why the hell would you do that?! You love Clarke. She loves you.  You were who she called when she was in trouble. How could you tell her to be with Roan?”

“Because, O,” Bellamy snaps, “it’s what’s best for her. She’ll be safer with Azgeda.”

“She’s safer with  us ,” Octavia argues. Bellamy stands up. 

“The decision’s been made, O. It’s over.” With that, Bellamy turns and walks down the hall. His whole body seems like he’s being weighed down, appearing several inches shorter. Octavia’s resolve hardens. 

“Like hell it has,” she growls, spinning on her heel and marching down the hall. She knows what she has to do, but she’s gonna need some help. 

***

A light rap on the door snaps Clarke out of her stupor. “Y-yeah. Come in.” Roan steps into the room and Clarke moves off the bed, crossing her arms nervously. She won’t meet his eyes. 

“Hey. So… I guess you-,”

“How could you?” Clarke demands, her eyes fierce, her anger returning. “How could you not tell me? How could you not answer me when I was calling out for someone to help me?!”

Roan’s gaze is cool and even as he replies, “Because you weren’t calling for ‘someone’, Clarke. You were calling for Bellamy.” Angry tears spring to Clarke’s eyes and she marches up to him, poking him in the chest as she glares up at him. 

“Don’t you  dare do that. Yes, I called for Bellamy. Because he’s been there for me since I was  sold away by my mother. Still waiting on that wedding gift, RoRo-“ Roan shuts her up the way he’s wanted since the first time he met her- he takes her face in his hands and dips his head down to press a kiss to her lips. 

At first, Clarke is motionless, shocked. Then she responds, wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss. After a second, they break away from each other. Clarke’s face is flushed as she bites her bottom lip. “Thank you for coming after me,” she says quietly. Then she spins around and runs into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. 

Roam stands frozen in his place, dumbfounded. Finally, he snaps out of it and walks to the door, rapping lightly. “Clarke? Hey, if I did something-,”

“No, you didn’t do anything,” her voice interrupts. The door creaks open. “I’m sorry. I just- it’s been a really long day. I need some time to… take in everything. Is that ok?” There’s nothing he can do except nod, press a kiss to her temple, and leave. 

He’s walking down the hall to his room when the realization hits him. There’s one more thing he can do. He turns around, quickening his pace, hoping to accomplish what he must before his resolve crumbles. He arrives at his destination and takes a deep breath before knocking on the door. It swings open after a second. 

“Roan?” Bellamy asks, a befuddled expression on his face. “What’re you doing here?”

“Clarke needs you,” Roan says, his jaw set and all the muscles in his body tensed. Bellamy frowns.

“Sorry, but she chose you,” Bellamy says, starting to shut the door. Roan stops him with a firm hand holding it open. 

“We both know that isn’t true. You’re smart, Bellamy. That’s why you told her to come with me. So tomorrow, I’ll bring her back to Azgeda, where she’ll be safe from the Mountain Men. But tonight, she needs her best friend.” Bellamy smirks, reveling in the fact that Roan came to  _ him _ for help with Clarke. 

“Yeah, of course,” he answers. Roan turns to leave, but Bellamy catches his arm before he can get far. “Roan. You just promise me you’ll take care of her, ok?”

“Of course,” Roan replies seriously. Bellamy nods and Roan walks away. Bellamy watches him leave, then glances down the hall to Clarke’s room. He shuts the door, takes a deep breath, and heads for her room. 


	17. The Sacrifices We Make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy questions whether or not he made the right descision, and Clarke struggles with her feelings for him.

A soft knock at the door mercifully jerks Clarke from her thoughts. For a moment, she considers pretending to be asleep, but then another knock comes. She sighs. She’ll have to face Roan eventually. “Yeah?” she calls out softly. The door creaks open, but Clarke stays laying on her side, staring out her window at the mountains. 

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t realize you were asleep,” at Bellamy’s voice, Clarke sits up, turning to the door.

“Wait, no,” she insists. “Please, Bellamy, stay.” Bellamy pauses at the door, then turns and walks back to her. He sits on the bed next to her hesitantly. They sit in tense silence, until Bellamy breaks the spell.

“Clarke, are you sure you’re ok?”

“How could you do that to me, Bellamy?” Clarke asks, tears brimming her eyes. Bellamy takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. “You didn’t even give me a chance to make my choice. You decided for me.”

“Clarke, that decision was already killing you, and you’d only just found out about it,” Bellamy says. “It was the only way I could think to help you.”

“It didn’t help me, Bell,” she whispers, taking his hand. “Pushing me away isn’t helping me.”

“With Roan, in Azgeda’s stronghold, is the safest place for you,” Bellamy argues. 

“And what gives you the right to choose that for me?” Clarke demands. 

“Damn it, Clarke, I’m trying to keep you safe!” Bellamy shouts, standing up and walking to the window, running his hand through his hair. Clarke swings her leg over the side of the bed and walks over to him. She sets a hand on his shoulder and he turns to face her, the anger gone from his face, replaced by exhaustion. 

“I know you’re trying to keep me safe, Bellamy. But I never asked you to,” she says softly. Bellamy scoffs, shaking his head. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering before dropping to his side.

“You never would, Clarke,” he replies. 

“Because I don’t have to! I won’t be safest in Azgeda, I’m safest  _here_ , with you, Bell,” she argues, stepping closer to him.

“We both know that isn’t true!” he shouts, grabbing her by the shoulders. Clarke shrinks away from him and his expression softens. “I already failed once, Clarke. We might not get so lucky if it happens again.”

“Bellamy, you didn’t fail. You saved me- you’re the  reason I’m here. It wasn’t luck, it was  _ you _ ,” she insists.

“I’m also the reason you were taken. This is the only way to keep you safe,” he replies softly. 

“How is that your decision to make?” Clarke demands again, crossing her arms.

“Because you’ll never make it,” he says, looking at her sadly.

“Bell-” 

“Don’t, Clarke. You think this is what I want? To send you away with Roan?” He asks, his forehead crinkling as he draws his eyebrows together.

“Clearly, it is,” she snaps back.

“If it were up to me, I would keep you in this room until we managed to kill every last Mountain Man,” Bellamy replies, an edge creeping into his voice. “But you’d never listen to me and I care too much about you to force you.”

“So you’re sending me away?” Clarke’s expression is defiant, her jaw set. “That’s your solution?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” he demands. “You won’t let me keep you safe. You’re giving me no choice.”

“No, Bellamy. I’m the one that has no choice here. Because you already chose for me. And you chose wr-” Bellamy cuts Clarke off the way he’s wanted to from the minute he met her- dipping his head down to meet her lips, effectively shutting her up with a firm, but gentle kiss. After a second, he pulls away, searching her eyes, his hands on her cheeks. Her mouth is slightly agape, her eyes wide in surprise. He brushes his thumbs over her cheeks gently.

“Don’t say that,” he whispers. “Don’t say that I chose wrong. Please, Clarke. This is the only way I have to keep you safe.” Clarke just stares at him, unable to form a response. Bellamy presses a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Princess.” Then, he turns and walks out of Clarke’s room, her silent plea for him to stay caught in her throat as the door closes.

Clarke stares at the empty space where Bellamy just stood, the memory of how his hands felt on her cheeks, and the feel of his lips against hers slowly fading with each passing second. She walks slowly to the door, setting a hand on the doorknob, every nerve in her body screaming for her to chase after him. She leans her forehead against the cool wood.

The second Bellamy closes the door, everything in him begs him to turn around and go back to her. But he knows he can’t. He leans back against the door, the memory of their kiss lingering on his lips. He sets a hand on his forehead, massaging his temples. How could he do that? How could he just  _ kiss _ her out of the blue. After he had just told her they had no choice but for her to go with Roan. And why didn’t he do that a long time ago?

After a second, Bellamy pushes off the door, his hand itching to twist that handle and go back inside. But he doesn’t. Instead, he walks down the hall back towards his room, every molecule in his being begging him to turn around. He passes his door without a glance, knowing what he has to do. He reaches Roan’s room and, despite his heart screaming at him to stop, knocks at the door. 

“Come in,” Roan calls out. Bellamy opens the door and steps into the room. “Bellamy, what-,”

“You need to take her away. Now. Tomorrow.”

“What do you-,”

“No, listen to me. This, sending her away with you, it’s killing me. So you need to do it now before I don’t let you. So tomorrow, you’re going to pack your stuff and you’re going to take her to Azgeda.”

“Bellamy…” Roan starts, his voice low. Bellamy turns around and walks to the door. He starts to leave, then pauses, turning slightly to look at Roan.

“Just… take care of her.” Roan nods and Bellamy closes the door behind him, suddenly feeling completely wiped. He rubs his forehead and heads back to his room.

***

Clarke lies on her side, staring out the window. It’s dark now, nearly an hour after Bellamy left. Soon after, Harper had come in to help her get ready for bed. 

“Octavia told me what happened,” Harper had said when she saw Clarke, sitting at the foot of her bed with her head in her hands. Harper walked over and sat down next to her. Clarke shifted so she was resting her head on her best friends shoulder.

“I don’t want to leave, Harper,” Clarke had whispered.

“I know. I don’t either. But we have to,” she responded. Clarke had looked up at Harper.

“Not you. You don’t have to,” she’d told her, sitting up. “So I’m leaving tomorrow and you’re going to stay here, with Octavia and Monty.”

“No, I couldn’t leave you like that,” Harper insists.

“Yes, you can. You’re happy here. Monty makes you happy. And you deserve that,” Clarke says, smiling sadly at Harper, though her heart is breaking. “I can get myself ready for bed tonight. You should go.”

“Clarke…”

“Go, Harper.” And so Harper left. Clarke had gone into the bathroom to quickly wash her face and then climber right into bed.


	18. All Isn't What it Seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke leaves with Roan, but what happens when she discovers that everything might not be how it seems?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long! There's daily updates on my instagram account, @maywefightagain

Despite being completely exhausted, Clarke finds herself unable to fall asleep. She stares blankly out her window at the dark forest. Unshed tears threaten to spill over as she thinks back to earlier. She reaches up to ghost her fingertips over her lips, the memory of Bellamy’s kiss lingering. She squeezes her eyes shut as a tear breaks free, rolling down her cheek. How could he do that? After he basically handed her over to Roan. One second she was practically yelling at him, and then next his lips were on hers, his hands cupping her cheeks. Then, all too soon, he was pulling away and staring down at her, a fragile, terrified look in his black eyes. She’ll never forget how vulnerable he looked. Or the way his lips felt on hers. Or how, right after, he had told her he was sorry and then left her.

And how she knows that nothing between them can ever be the same again. She’s going to leave with Roan, and Bellamy will be the choice she’ll always wish she made.

Harper’s fingers nimbly plait Clarke’s hair into a neat braid. After a long, sleepless night, Harper had come into Clarke’s room to find her sitting, knees pulled to her chest, right next to her window, her forehead leaning against the cool glass. 

“Tell me you got at least a little sleep,” Harper had said, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room. Clarke turns and grins weakly at her. 

“I think I passed out for a little bit. It was suddenly dawn, and it had just felt like it was the middle of the night,” she teases back. 

“Well let’s get you ready, huh? It’s a… big day.” Harper turns so Clarke can’t see her eyes tearing up at the thought of her best friend leaving. Just then, Octavia comes bursting into the bedchamber.

“You’re leaving  today ?!” she exclaims, her fierce gaze settling on Clarke.

“Blame your brother,” Clarke said, walking over and sitting down so Harper could start on her braid.

“Oh trust me, I do,” Octavia says now, plopping herself down on Clarke’s bed. “But you’re the one who’s leaving.”

“Not by choice,” Clarke says quietly, meeting Octavia’s eyes through the mirror. 

“But it is your choice!” Octavia exclaims. “Clarke, no one can make this choice for you. Especially not my brother.”

“He already did, O!” Clarke snaps back,” Turning in her chair. Harper hisses, tugging lightly on Clarke’s hair.

“Stop moving,” she orders.

“Sorry,” Clarke says, turning to face the mirror again. “Octavia. He made the decision without even asking me. I had no say.”

“Ok. So who says you have to listen to him?” Octavia presses.

“It’s not that simple!” Clarke huffs. “I told Roan I would go with him. And I intend to stick to my word. Besides, I love Roan. I’ve always loved Roan. I couldn’t bear to hurt him like that.”

“But you’re  in love with Bellamy,” Harper says softly, tying off the braid. Clarke opens her mouth, as if to reply, but nothing comes out, the protest dying on her tongue. She cannot deny the truth. 

“He feels the same, you know,” Octavia comments, breaking the silence. Clarke looks at her, then down at her hands. Octavia narrows her eyes. “Something happened,” she accuses. 

“Harper I need to dress. Will you start packing my belongings? Octavia, would you please help her?” Clarke requests, standing up and grabbing the simple, sky blue dress for her travels.

Without waiting for their replies, she walks to the bathroom, only letting herself breathe once she’s locked the door. She sinks down against the door, head in her hands. Harper’s words echo in her head. 

Clarke knows what she said was true. She loves Roan, but she is in love with Bellamy Blake. Clarke shakes her head. she can’t think about this now, she has to get ready to go to Azgeda. She changes into the dress, grateful for the lack of corset. She’s always preferred her simpler dresses to the “elegant” ones her mother got her. 

She reenters her bedchamber to see Octavia and Harper packing her chest, talking quietly to one another. Clarke clears her throat and the pair look up at her, instantly silenced. Clarke walks over and sits down next to them, grabbing an article of clothing from the floor and folding it before placing it in the trunk, refusing to meet her friends’ persistent gazes. 

After about fifteen minutes of silent, tension-riddled, silence, they’re done packing. Most of her stuff was already in the trunks. Anything she forgets she’ll be able to get in Azgeda. Just as they finish packing, a knock comes from the door. All three girls turn to look at the door as Clarke calls for them to enter. Roan steps into the room and Harper and Octavia exchange a look.

“Clarke. The carriage is here, are you ready to go?” Roan asks her, noticing the looks Harper and Octavia are giving him. He watches as Clarke takes a deep breath, then meets his gaze. 

“Yes,” she replies, avoiding looking at either of her friends. She forces a smile onto her face and moves to her feet. Octavia opens her mouth to protest, but Harper stops her with a hand on her arm and a small shake of her head. Harper knows Clarke better than almost anyone. There’s no changing her mind now. They just have to hope that, for once in her life, Clarke follows her heart.

Clarke can feel them staring at her as Roan smiles. She knows Octavia desperately wants to say something and that Harper stopped her. Harper knows the choice has been made. Octavia does too, she simply refuses to accept it.

“Great. I’ll send a couple of my people to retrieve you things. Meet you at the carriages in a couple minutes?” he asks, half expecting Clarke to suddenly change her mind, to say she wants to stay. But she doesn’t.

“Of course. I just have to say goodbye,” she replies. He nods, kisses her cheek, and leaves. Instantly, Clarke’s shoulders sag as she lets out a heavy sigh.

“You’re not actually going to go, are you?” Octavia asks softly. Clarke straightens her posture, staring straight ahead at the closed door.

“I am, Octavia.” She turns around and walks to her friend. “But it’ll be ok. You can visit, as can I. We’ll see one another again,” Clarke promises. Octavia shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes. Clarke pulls the younger girl into a hug. “I have to, O.” Octavia squeezes Clarke, then lets her go. Clarke turns to Harper.

“I should come with you, Clarke,” Harper says in a final attempt. Clarke shakes her head, just as Harper knew she would.

“No. This is your home now. You came with me here from Arkadia. You met Monty, you made friends. This is where you belong and I won’t let you give it up for me,” Clarke insists, resolute in her decision. Harper nods sadly and the two girls embrace, both holding back tears for the sake of the other.

Clarke takes a deep breath and pulls away, squeezing Harper’s hand with a sad smile. She clears her throat and straightens her posture, lifting her chin and swallowing her tears. A knock at the door breaks the spell between the three friends as they all turn to look.

“Come in,” Clarke calls. The door opens, revealing two girls and a young man, all Roan’s warriors. “May I help you?” Clarke asks.

“We’re here to take your luggage to the carriage,” one of the women says. She has light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and almond eyes.

“Oh. Of course. And what are your names?” Clarke asks.

“I’m Raven. This is Emori and Murphy,” the girl says.n

“Nice to meet you. I have to go say one more goodbye, tell Roan I’ll meet him outside,” Clarke says. The trio nods and Clarke leaves the room, closing the door. She takes a deep breath as she starts towards Bellamy’s room. This is not going to be fun.

“Wait, Clarke!” Clarke spins at Octavia’s voice, readying herself.

“Octavia, I’m going,” she says. Octavia shakes her head.

“No, I know that. I was going to tell you… Bellamy left already. He’s out on a ride with Lincoln.” Clarke blinks, surprised and hurt that Bellamy left without saying goodbye to her. She feels tears welling up in her eyes, and blinks them away.

“No, yeah, that makes sense,” Clarke says, forcing her voice to remain steady. Octavia chews on her lip. “I guess I should just go, then.”

“I’m sorry, Clarke. He just- he knew he wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to you,” Octavia explains. Clarke nods, biting down hard on her lip to keep herself in check. She meets Octavia’s gaze.

“Then maybe he shouldn’t be sending me away,” Clarke says, her jaw clenched. Octavia shakes her head incredulously. 

“Are you kidding me, Clarke? You know this is killing him. The only reason he’s even letting you out of his sight is because he feels like he failed you and Azgeda wont. He hates himself for losing you to Finn,” Octavia exclaims. Does Clarke really not see?

“It wasn’t his fault,” Clarke argues. “I challenged him to the race, I went off course, I let myself get caught, not him.”

“That might be true, but Bellamy will never forgive himself for not being there when you needed him. Not fighting for you is Bellamy punishing himself, not you. Besides, it’s not like you’re just a bystander here. You could choose not to go with Roan,” Octavia points out.

“I can’t do that to Roan,” Clarke says softly. Then her ‘politics face,’ as Octavia likes to call it, is back. “Besides, when I go with Roan, Azgeda will join the coalition. Floukru, Trikru, Skaikru, Sangedakru, and now Azgeda. That’s almost half the clans. That’s enough to fight the Mountain Men.”

“Roan would join anyway,” Octavia counters. “He was already proposing a peace treaty before Bellamy suggested you go with him.”

“But this solidifies it.”

“It’s just a way for you and Bellamy to run away from each other and not confront the fact that you’re soulmates,” Octavia snaps. Clarke can’t keep her cool anymore and fires back,

“Yeah well so are Roan and I! And I’ve known him my whole life, he’s always been there for me. I can’t not choose him. I’m sorry, I have to go.” Clarke pushes past Octavia, her jaw clenched. It takes everything in her to not turn around and break down in her friend’s arms. She quickens her pace until she reaches the carriages, Roan leaning against the biggest one. His face lights up when he sees her and she smiles back.

“For a moment, I was worried you weren’t coming,” Roan teases lightly. Clarke swallows hard, but grins at him.

“Of course I was coming. I was just looking for… I was saying goodbye to my friends,” Clarke explains. Roan takes note of her faltering, but says nothing, instead opening the door for her. Clarke smiles at him and climbs inside. He looks over his shoulder before climbing in after her. There’s another woman inside, a warrior according to her hair styling, intricately braided in the fashion of an Azgedian warrior. 

“Hi, I’m Clarke. I don’t believe we’ve met,” Clarke says, extending her hand. The woman just glares coldly at her, and Clarke sets her hand in her lap. Roan climbs into the carriage and shakes his head at the warrior.

“Echo, be nice,” he orders. She glares at him, but stops staring at Clarke, instead looking out the window. Clarke looks at Echo for another second before turning to Roan. 

“So do you want to talk about it?” Clarke asks. Roan raises an eyebrow as the carriage starts moving. 

“About what?”

“Naia.” The muscles in Roan’s jaw tense, his expression becoming guarded. Clarke sighs. “Come on, Roan. I’ve known you my whole life. Your mother may have been horrible, but she was still your mother.”

“Clarke, I’m not talking about this,” he says lowly, glancing at Echo.

“Roan-”

“Clarke, I said no,” Roan interrupts, his voice hard and his eyes cold. Clarke swallows hard, but doesn’t argue further. Roan grins gently, taking her hand. “Later, ok?” Clarke nods, returning his smile. 

The carriage pulls out of the compound, now entering the woods. Clarke can still feel Echo’s eyes on her, and turns her attention out the window. She tries to convince herself that she’s just trying to ignore Echo’s stare, but a part of her is praying she’ll see Bellamy racing by. That she’ll get to say goodbye. But Bellamy never rides along the roads. He likes his back trails, the secret places only he knows.

It takes them around an hour to reach the Trikru border. They hardly speak the whole time, Echo’s presence making Clarke uncomfortable and Roan seemingly preoccupied, his leg bouncing the entire time as his fingers drum nervously against his other leg. Clarke asks him a couple times if he’s alright, but he simply replies with a quick nod and forced grin.

Once they’re a little ways into Azgeda territory, the carriage suddenly stops. There are shouts from up ahead and Clarke turns to Roan, her eyes wide. His jaw tenses and he squeezes her hand.

He looks at Echo, who nods before rising and opening the door. She jumps down from the carriage and then the door closes.

“Roan, what’s going on?” Clarke asks, hushed. 

“Probably nothing,” he replies tersely. She frowns slightly, and he gives her a quick kiss. The door opens again and Clarke jumps slightly. It’s Echo, and her intense gaze lands on Roan.

“They want to speak to you,” she says. Roan sighs, nods, and then moves to leave. Clarke grabs his wrist.

“Roan, tell me what’s happening,” she insists, her eyes searching his. He leans down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“Clarke, it’s fine. I’ll be right back, stay here.” Clarke’s further protests are left unspoken as he leaves the carriage. 

The door is left open this time, and Clarke catches a glimpse of a man in a white uniform. A Mountain Man. With a small gasp, Clarke moves further back into the shadows of the carriage. She hears Roan’s voice and leans forward again, her curiosity overriding her fear.

“-no choice,” Roan is saying. “But now the plan can continue as intended.” Clarke’s heart races.

“You should have told us, Roan,” another voice replies. “You put everything in jeopardy, and for what? A girl? I never expected you to be so stupid.”

“Listen, Cage” Roan growls. “They don’t know anything. I was not about to let her get caught in the middle of this. So move ahead with our plan and you’ll get what you want and I’ll get what I want. Now tell your men to get out of our way.” 

Clarke hurriedly moves back to her seat, and a few seconds later, Roan reenters the carriage, shutting the door behind him. Clarke’s heart thrums madly in her chest as the carriage starts to move again. Finally, she looks at Roan.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she demands.

“How much did you hear?” he asks with a sigh. Clarke feigns a look of innocence.

“I don’t know what you’re-”

“Save it. I’ve known you your whole life. So what did you hear?” Roan repeats.

“Not much,” Clarke insists. Roan raises his eyebrow, and she gives in. “Why are you talking to the Mountain Men about a plan? What did you do, Roan? And where did Echo go?”

“I didn’t do anything except what I had to,” he answers. Clarke clenches her fists.

“That’s not an answer, Roan. Tell me what is going on right now.”

“A few months ago, the Mountain Men approached Nia. I didn’t know about the plan until after she died, and by then it was too late to stop it. They would lend Azgeda their resources and help Nia conquer the other territories, expanding Azgeda. In return, she would give them three people a month..” Clarke’s eyes widen in horror and she moves away from him, as far as she can get. “Clarke, I had no choice. The armies were already in place and if I tried to stop it, a lot of people would die. Going through with it will save countless lives from the Mountain Men and the clans will finally be united.”

“But not by choice, Roan,” Clarke replies, horrified. “Roan, how could you do this?”

“I didn’t do it, Clarke. Nia did. She left me with no choice,” Roan counters. 

“Then why did you come to Trikru for a truce?” 

“My spies found out you were there. I wasn’t willing to let you get caught in the middle of a war, so we sent someone to retrieve you,” Roan starts.

“Finn,” Clarke whispers.

“Yes, but then he went rogue. He didn’t bring you to Azgeda like he was supposed to, so I took matters into my own hands. My spies knew what your soulmate mark was, so I had my best tattooist give me a matching one.”

“Oh my god,” Clarke murmurs. “So that means-” That means Bellamy is her soulmate. Her  only soulmate. “Roan turn the carriage around.”

“I can’t do that, Wanheda,” Roan says. “I went to Trikru because I needed to find you. Then Lincoln and Octavia insisted on coming with us, so I had to improvise.”

“I was going to kill Finn before he could expose me, but Bellamy beat me to it. Now Bellamy… Bellamy I didn’t anticipate. I hadn’t expected that you’d have already found your soulmate.”

“I thought I would have to fight Bellamy for you, but then he surprised me yet again. He sent you away with me. And now you’ll be safe in Azgeda with me when our men attack. They’re waiting just outside Trikru’s territory for the signal. That’s where Echo went. But it’s ok, it’s ok, Clarke. You’re safe. We always thought we were going to be each other’s soulmate, so why shouldn’t we be?” Clarke shakes her head, tears springing to her eyes.

“Because we’re  not , Roan. Bellamy and I are. And I-” the words catch in her throat as regret tears through her. Her words come out quiet and sad, “I didn’t even say goodbye.”

“It’s for the best Clarke,” Roan promises. She continues shaking her head, tears running down her cheeks now. He is not the boy she loved growing up. He’s a monster.

“No,” she whispers. “Roan, turn the carriage around.”

“I’m not going to do that,” he says, his voice hard. “You’ll thank me for this one day.”

“Roan!” Clarke protests. “Turn the carriage around!” She stands up and starts pulling on the door knob, but it’s locked. She pounds against the windows, praying for someone to notice and help her. Roan pulls her back into her seat, his fingers digging into her hips. Tears blur her vision, and she can barely make out the face of the man she once knew better than anyone as she fights against him.

“Roan, let me go!” she cries as he pins her to the seat. Her fists pound against his chest as she struggles. “Roan please, you can’t do this.”

“I’m not going to let you die,” he insists, his grip on her waist tightening. Bellamy’s going to die. Clarke knows he’ll never cede to Azgeda. He’ll die fighting them off. As will Octavia and Lincoln, probably Miller too.

“Please, don’t kill them,” Clarke begs, her hits growing slower as she realizes it’s pointless. His hold on her hips loosens. “They’ll never give in. They’ll die fighting, please, Roan, if you love me, don’t let that happen.” 

“Clarke, you’re the only person I’ve  ever loved. But I barely managed to save you. If I try anything else, the Mountain Men will kill everyone.”

“What happened to you, Roan?” Clarke asks. His jaw tenses and he sits back, his hand leaving her cheek.

“I grew up, Clarke. I was faced with tough choices, and I made them. Except when it came to you, I couldn’t. Now you should try to get some rest, Clarke. We’ve got a few more hours until we reach the compound.” Tears blur Clarke’s vision, but she can’t stand to look at him any longer so she leans against the window, closing her eyes. 


	19. Separate Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Clarke and Bellamy reunite or decide to fight separately?

“I grew up, Clarke. I was faced with tough choices, and I made them. Except when it came to you, I couldn’t. Now you should try to get some rest, Clarke. We’ve got a few more hours until we reach the compound.” Tears blur Clarke’s vision, but she can’t stand to look at him any longer so she leans against the window, closing her eyes. 

As soon as the carriage stops, she’ll make a break for one of the horses and ride like hell. And even if she gets caught, she has the link with Bellamy, she can warn him. Clarke’s eyes fly open. The link. She can use the link!

‘Bellamy,’ she thinks, squeezing her eyes shut again. ‘Bellamy! Please, I need you to hear me. Roan- he isn’t who I thought he was. I need your help and I need you to respond, please.’ There’s no response and Clarke feels desperation flood through her. ‘Bellamy! Bellamy, please!’

‘ Clarke? ’ Bellamy’s voice echoes in her head, and it takes all she has to keep her face expressionless. ‘ Clarke, what’s going on? Are you ok?’

‘Bellamy, he was lying. About everything. His soulmate mark is fake, it’s a tattoo. He never wanted a truce with Lincoln.’

‘Slow down. What do you mean the mark is fake?’  Bellamy asks. Clarke forces herself to calm down.

‘He has an alliance with the Mountain Men. They’re about to attack Trikru, you have to get out of there, please,’ Clarke begs. She knows it’s pointless, Bellamy will never run from a fight.

‘ I’m not leaving, Clarke. Now that we know, we can prepare. We’ll be ready for them.’

‘If you stay, you’ll die,’ she insists.

‘Are you ok?’ he asks. Clarke feels like screaming.

But she doesn’t. Instead, she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, knowing what’s coming. ‘Yes, I’m ok,’ she answers.

‘Then I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying and defending my home,’ Bellamy says, his tone final.

‘Bellamy you have to. They will kill you. You can’t beat both armies alone, and no one will get to you in time to help,’ Clarke argues.

‘I can’t leave and you know that. As long as you’re safe,’ 

‘Then I’m coming back. As soon as the carriage stops, I’m taking a horse and coming back,’ she says.

‘No! You stay where you are,’ Bellamy orders. Clarke sets her jaw.

‘So you’re allowed to risk your life, but I’m not? I won’t stand by and let this happen. I can’t stay with Roan. I’m coming home, Bellamy,’ Clarke tells him. He continues to beg her not to come back, but she ignores him, leaning against the window. He finally stops and she lets out a sigh.

Roan looks over at her curiously, and she quickly averts her gaze out the window. She feels his hand reaching for hers, and shifts further away from him. He sighs heavily and Clarke tries to ignore it.

“Clarke, what else was I supposed to do?” he asks, defeat and exhaustion heavy in his voice. “They’re in my palace, in our villages. If I went back on our deal, Azgeda would’ve been massacred. And the other clans wouldn’t be far behind. This is the safest way, with the least bloodshed.” Clarke finally turns to look at him. She searches his face, looking for any sign of her childhood best friend.

“Why would your mother agree to this?” she asks, her voice soft now. 

“Why did Nia do anything? Power, territory, subjects. I never would have made this deal. She left me with no choice, I had to go through with it.”

“But why wouldn’t you tell Lincoln or the other regents?” Clarke presses. Roan pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

“That man I was talking to, Cage, he’s watching me constantly. Warriors that accompanied me to Trikru, servants in my palace. The Mountain Men have their hooks in deep, Clarke.”

“So that’s it, then. They win. Bellamy and Lincoln are going to die, and there’s nothing I can do?” Roan nods, avoiding her gaze. She sets her jaw. “You’re wrong. You forgot about the link.”

“Clarke, you can’t-,”

“Too late, Roan. I told him the second I found out. I’m not letting him die, and I'm not letting  you get away with this. He’s getting everyone ready to fight and then he’ll come for me,” she says, meeting Roan’s stricken gaze. Then his expression hardens.

“Congratulations, Clarke. Now all those deaths, they’ll be on you. Looks like you’re actually earning the nickname I gave you when we were kids… Wanheda,” he says coldly.

“I won’t let Bellamy die, Roan. This is your mess to clean up, not mine or his,” Clarke says evenly, though her heart races. She knows she did the right thing by telling Bellamy, but she doesn’t want to let Roan’s people die for mistakes he and his mom made.

“When my streets run red with the blood the Mountain Men spill, it will be  all of our mess,” Roan growls.

***

Bellam’s mind races. He’s torn between staying and fighting and running to Clarke. He knows that she only assured him she was fine so he wouldn’t come after her. But he can’t leave his home- his people- undefended. He can’t leave Lincoln and Miller on their own. And he has to make sure Octavia stays in the stronghold, where she’ll be safe. 

“You should go after her,” Lincoln says, as if he read Bellamy’s mind. They were on a ride when Clarke contacted Bellamy. He told Lincoln what was going on while arguing with Clarke. Now, Lincoln fixes him with a level stare. 

“I can’t leave Trikru. I can’t leave Octavia-,”

“You can’t leave  Clarke , Bell. She won’t sit by and let this happen. She’ll die before letting Roan do this.” Bellamy winces at the implication of Clarke’s death. “I’ll take care of our home and your sister, I promise. You love her, Bellamy. If something happens you will never forgive yourself.”

Bellamy sighs. Lincoln’s right, if Clarke gets hurt he’ll blame himself. If she dies… if Clarke died it would kill Bellamy. But he can’t just leave. Clarke is one person. There are over 400 people in TonDC. It’s Bellamy’s duty to protect them, too. 

“I’m going after her,” Bellamy says. Lincoln nods and Bellamy sighs. “But not until this is over.” Lincoln shakes his head. “My duties are with Trikru, first and foremost.” 

“We can manage without you-”

“We need to go warn everyone and prepare our warriors,” Bellamy interrupts, knowing that it won’t be difficult to give in to Lincoln’s suggestions. Clarke will be fine. Roan seems to still care for her, and that means he won’t let anything happen to her.

“Bellamy…”

“I’ve made up my mind, Lincoln. Clarke will manage on her own,” Bellamy says gruffly, nudging his horse to speed up. The two men urge their horses to a gallop, desperate to reach TonDC before Azgeda and the Mountain Men begin their attack.

Lincoln looks sidelong at his brother as they ride. Bellamy needs to go to her, and they both know it. The bond between soulmates is sacred, and Bellamy is denying his for some misguided reason. And it’s going to hurt both him and Clarke.

But Bellamy is a stubborn ass, and if he’s made up his mind about this there’s no changing it. Lincoln just has to hope Bellamy realizes his mistake before it’s too late.

***

Clarke is ready. Every muscle in her body is tensed, coiled like a spring ready to snap the second the door opens. The carriage just pulled up in front of Roan’s stronghold, and this is Clarke’s one chance to get away before Roan has a chance to lock her away in a room or tower until this is over. And she refuses to let that happen.

Roan stands up, opening the door. He steps out and then holds out a hand for Clarke. She smiles at him and walks over. But, instead of taking his hand, she grabs the ledge off the roof and swings her body, both feet colliding with Roan’s chest. He crashes to the ground, wheezing, and in the confusion that follows, Clarke jumps to the ground and sprints as fast as she can toward a horse, already saddled and ready to go. 

She hears shouts behind her and her heart hammers in her chest. She reaches the horse and puts a foot in the stirrup, about to launch herself up into the saddle when hands latch around her waist, fingers digging into her hips, pulling her backward. Frantically, she grips the horse’s mane and kicks back at her attacker. She’s gratified with a sharp gasp and the fingers loosen their grip. 

Then her assailant renews their efforts, tightening their hold and pulling Clarke away from the horse. She screams and lashes out, but it’s pointless. She’s being held by an arm around her waist as the man drags her back toward Roan. Clarke’s elbow connects with his nose with a satisfying crunch, but his grip doesn’t loosen. Roan stands by the carriage, arms crossed, waiting expectantly. 

“You shouldn’t have done that, Clarke,” Roan growls. He nods at the man holding Clarke and he releases her. She drops to her knees.

“You had to know I would, Roan,” Clarke says, anger heavy in her voice. Roan’s warriors are blocking any last ditch effort for escape. It’s over. Roan sighs.

“Of course I knew, Clarke. I just hoped you wouldn’t. Now, come on, I’ll show you your room.”

“Roan, please,” Clarke begs. “I have to help him, I can’t- I can’t just sit by and watch this happen. You know the connection I have with Bellamy, if he dies…” Clarke can’t finish the sentence, shuddering at even the thought of it.

“It’s better than you dying,” Roan argues. “Besides, if Bellamy truly loved you, he would come for you but he isn’t, is he?”

“I told him not to,” Clarke says.

“He’ll die a warrior’s death, Clarke,” Roan reassures her. Tears sting her eyes and she lets out a shaky breath before meeting his eyes.

“I’m not going to stop trying to get to him,” she growls. 


	20. Drawn Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How far will Clarke and Bellamy go to get back to each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you guys prefer shorter updates more frequently or longer updates less frequently? Let me know in the comments! (I try to update daily on my instagram- @the_100_au_)

Roan nods to two of his guards, and they each take one of Clarke’s arms, pulling her as gently as they can to her feet. 

“I know you won’t,” he sighs. Then his gaze shifts to the guards. “Take her to her room, I’ll be there shortly.”

“No,” Clarke whispers. The second she’s inside the stronghold, that’s it. There’s nowhere to run, no one to help her. She tries breaking free of the guards, but there’s no point. Bellamy’s on his own. “You’re going to lose, Roan. Bellamy will warn Trikru in time and they’ll be ready for your attack.”

Roan closes his eyes, and seems to age before Clarke, his shoulders sagging as if he’s being pushed into the ground. Then he looks at her. “I lose no matter what, Clarke.”

***

“Absolutely not,” Bellamy insists, shaking his head as he cinches the girth, securing the saddle on his horse. Octavia follows him as he walks to get the bridle.

“You can’t protect me from this, Bell. If the Mountain Men and Azgeda are attacking, I have to be there, I have to help fight,” Octavia argues.

“You’re staying here with Harper and Monty, this isn’t up for debate, Octavia.” He grabs a bridle off the wall and walks back to his mount.

“It also isn’t up to you. I’m a warrior, Bell, one of the best we have. I’m not staying behind. Clarke may have let you choose for her, but I’m sure as hell not making that same mistake, cause look where it got her,” Octavia yells at him. He spins on her, his face contorted in anger and pain.

“I did what I thought was right! I was trying to keep her safe! That’s all I have ever tried to do! God, I love her Octavia, and it’s  killing me that she’s in this mess because of me!” Bellamy shouts, his voice breaking on the last word. 

Octavia‘s first instinct is to comfort her brother, to tell him it’s ok, that he was just trying to help her. But none of them can afford for her to coddle him. So, she sets her jaw and looks straight at him. “Then go do something about it, Bellamy. She’s in enemy territory with no one to help her. You know Clarke, you know she’ll keep going until she gets out or dies. Which do you think will happen first on her own?”

“O, I have to be here, I have to help-,” 

“No, you don’t. You are one warrior, Bell. Lincoln has me, Miller, plenty of other warriors. Clarke needs you so much more than we do,” Octavia counters. 

“But-,”. 

“No buts,” Miller interrupts from the doorway. “We’ll protect our home, you go save our friend.”

“See, even Miller agrees with me. How often does that happen?” Octavia teases lightheartedly. Bellamy gives her a little grin, then pulls her into a hug. She squeezes him, then pulls away, pushing him on the shoulder lightly. “Now go.”

“May we meet again,” Bellamy says, pulling himself into the saddle. The pair echo the sentiment and Bellamy nudges his horse into action. As soon as he’s out of the stables, he breaks into a gallop, one thought pounding through his head, calling to her.

‘I’m coming, Clarke.’ 

‘No, Bellamy, stay where you are it isn’t safe!’  Her reply is instant and forceful. She sounds scared. Bellamy pulls on the reins until the horse stops, all his attention turning to Clarke.

‘Clarke? What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing, just stay away!’  Clarke insists, her tone frantic.

‘Clarke, no, I’m not leaving you there with him,” Bellamy argues. There’s no answer and Bellamy’s mouth goes dry, his heart rate picking up. ‘Clarke?’ A stinging sensation emanates from the mark on his hip, and a pit settles in his stomach. He needs to get to Clarke,  now .

“Let me  go ,” Clarke grunts, pulling against the guards holding her arms. They don’t budge, pulling her down the hall. She huffs, blowing stray hairs out or her eyes. “I’m the Queen of Trikru and I demand you let me go.” One of the guards snorts and Clarke chews on her lip. They obey Roan and no one else. If they get her into the room, there’s no escape. She pulls against their grips again, then winces as their grasps tighten. “Ow, ow!” she hisses. “You’re hurting me, stop.”

“Shut up,” the man on her left orders.

“Fine we’ll just see how Roan feels when he sees the bruises you’re creating,” Clarke retorts. The guards both sigh and loosen their holds on her. Clarke takes instant advantage, slipping out of their grasp and running back down the way they came, heart racing. She hears swears from behind her as they chase after her. For just a brief second, she actually has hope of escape. Then a guard is jumping on her, pushing her to the ground, and just like that, it's gone. Until she hears his voice.

‘I’m coming, Clarke.’

“No!” Clarke cries as she’s pulled back to her feet, the man holding both hands behind her back as they walk to the woman. The guards frown at her, but ignore it. ‘Bellamy, stay where you are it isn’t safe.’

‘ Clarke? What’s wrong? ’ he demands as the man shifts so each guard is holding one arm.

“Nothing, just stay away!” Clarke shouts. The female guard’s eyes widen and she turns to the man. Oh no.

“She’s talking to him.”

“Well what do we do?” The man asks. Bellamy is saying something, but Clarke is more focused on the guards.

“I don’t know,” the woman hisses. Clarke’s eyes are wide, her heart racing. The man sighs. “But we need to get her to stop, he can’t know more than he already does.”

“Fine,” the man mutters. “But you have to explain to Roan.” Out of the corner of her eye, Clarke sees a sword being drawn and she gasps.

“No, please-” then the hilt of the sword is slamming into the back of her head, and she’s out cold.


	21. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El finale. How will Clarke and Bellamy get to eachother? Will they get caught between a war they can't win?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story really got away from me at the end. It stretched on wayyyyyy longer than I intented and it didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to, but oh well. I hope this ending is satisfactory!

“What the hell?” Clarke wakes at Roan’s angry growl. She opens her eyes, her head pounding. She sees Roan standing at the foot of her bed, the guards before him. The woman looks almost apologetic, whereas the man has his jaw set. “You knocked her out?”

“Well what were we supposed to do, Roan?” The man snaps back. Clarke sees the lines in Roan’s form harden and a shiver runs down her spine. He’s angry now. “She was talking to him, she could’ve told him where she is.”

“It’s Haihefa to you, Tybe,” Roan says, his voice low.

“And Bellamy already knows what’s going on and where she is. I have no doubt he’s coming for her. But Clarke knows he won’t make it past our walls alive, and that’s why she was likely trying to keep him away.”

“But-”

“There are no buts, Tybe. You can go now, join the army on the front lines,” he orders. Jaw clenched, Tybe nods and leaves the room. Roan’s attention shifts to the woman, and she avoids his gaze.

“Dakiva. She is not to be touched again, understood?”

“Yes, Haihefa,” she agrees immediately. 

“You’re excused,” Roan says. The warrior bows and then exits. Roan’s shoulders sag immediately, his whole stature shrinking. “Clarke, I know you’re awake.” She lets out a quiet sigh and sits up, wincing at the throbbing at the base of her skull.

“How’d you know?” Roan snorts as he sits down at the foot of the bed, looking up at Clarke.

“Please, Clarke. I’ve known you your whole life. You mutter in your sleep basically the whole time. You suddenly shut up, it means you’re awake,” he explains. Clarke can’t help the little grin at his teasing, but she quickly smothers it, serious again. 

“He is,” she says quietly. 

“What?”

“He’s coming,” she clarifies. “I tried to stop him, but he’s not going to. Please, Roan. I’ll do whatever you want, but please don’t kill him.” Tears spring to Clarke’s eyes, and it feels like a heavy weight has settled on her chest, keeping her from being able to breathe normally. 

“What am I supposed to do, Clarke? If the Mountain Men sense any kind of weakness from me they’ll turn. They already are suspicious because I saved you.”

“Then don’t. Prove you’re strong and just _kill me_!” Clarke shouts, angry now. “Kill me but don’t you  dare touch him, Roan. If you kill Bellamy I will never forgive you, and I think you know that.”

“I’m not going to kill you, Clarke, are you kidding? I risked everything for you,” he explains slowly, as if talking to a child. But all that does is piss her off further. 

“Well if you kill him, it was for nothing,” she bites back. Roan’s expression hardens and he stands up, eyes like ice. 

“Get some rest, Clarke. I’ll be back later.”

As he starts for the door, Clarke swings her legs out from under the covers and chases after him, the door swinging shut right after she reaches it. She grabs the handle, trying to force the door back open, but it’s too late. He’s locked her in the room. She pounds against the door.

“Roan! Roan don’t do this! Let me go! Don’t hurt him!” Clarke continues to scream at the door until her voice cracks and her throat is raw. She sinks down against the door, tears streaming down her face. She covers her mouth, trying to hold back the sobs that threaten to tear themselves out of her. Then she shakes her head, pushing herself up to her feet again. No. She can’t wallow, she can’t cry. She has to be strong. Strong for Bellamy, for herself.

She hurries around the large room, throwing apart curtains to find thick metal bars in front of the windows, running into the bathroom to find the same. 

Clarke notes the paintings adorning the walls, several ones she made and had given to Roan. But they do little to cover the ugly truth - this isn’t a room, it’s a cell. Defeated, Clarke sits on the bed and closes her eyes. 

‘Bellamy?’ She searches for him through their link, desperate to warn him to stay away.

“ _Clarke?_ ” His reply is immediate and relieved.  “ _Thank god. Are you ok?_ ”

‘Yeah, Bell, I’m fine. Please you can’t come here,” she pleads. He’s silent for a second, then,

_“I have to, Princess_ ”

‘No, you don’t. I’m fine, I promise. But if you get into the compound, they’re going to kill you. Please, I can’t lose you, you need to trust me.”

_ “Clarke I can’t just leave you there and you know that. Roan is dangerous,”  _ Bellamy insists. Clarke sighs.

‘Not to me, Bellamy. He loves me, I’ll be fine. But he’ll kill you without a second thought, so  stay away ,’ Clarke begs. A warning horn sounds in the distance and Clarke’s heart stops. ‘Bellamy? Bellamy they know you’re here, you have to leave please!’

“ _I’m going to find a way in, Princess.”_

‘No, you won’t! You’ll die trying and then I’ll be in here all alone as our friends die fighting Azgeda and the Mountain Men. Now turn around before it’s too late!’

“ _Clarke-_ ,”  Bellamy starts to say something, probably to argue with her more, but then he’s gone. A second later, Clarke screams, the mark on her hip white-hot with a stabbing pain, worse than anything she’s ever experienced.

‘Bellamy?’ she calls, ignoring the burning in her hip. ‘Bellamy!’ She runs a hand through her hair, tearing up. Clarke winces as she stands up, pressing a hand to the mark, the burning slowly subsiding. She hurries over to the door. “I need to talk to Roan!” The door swings open and Clarke stumbles forward, caught by the male guard from earlier, Murphy. 

“Woah woah woah, easy there,” Murphy grunts, surprised. She steadies herself, but he keeps a gentle hold on her elbow. “You ok?”

“No, I need to talk to Roan” Murphy starts walking her back into the room, toward the bed.

“Ok, stay here and I’ll go get him. But It’s been like a day since you were literally being held captive, you have to take it easy. Roan will kill me if anything happens. So just sit tight and I’ll get him.”

***

Bellamy groans, his head pounding. He forces his eyes open and reaches to the back of his head gently, pushing himself into a seated position with his other arm. He’s in a cave, a large mouth providing light from the setting sun. Two people stand in the mouth, their silhouettes backlit from the sunlight. One of them must see he’s awake, because they start walking over to him. He looks around for his weapons, but they’re nowhere to be seen. He pushes to his feet. They come into view and he frowns. It’s Roan and a woman he doesn’t recognize.

“Roan? What the hell?” Bellamy growls. “Where’s Clarke?”

“Bellamy, this is important. You cannot reach out to Clarke, she has to be scared for you in order for this to work,” Roan insists.

“What the hell are you talking about, Roan? You have five minutes to explain before I ask her.”

“When I found out what my mother did, I knew I had to stop it. But I couldn’t do that unless the Mountain Men were certain I was on their side. They would’ve known something was up if I didn’t insist on saving Clarke, if I didn’t do anything I possibly could to keep you away from her. So I did. They’re watching her right now, but my friend Murphy is with her. He knows the signal and he’ll get her safe and out of there. But she needs to be upset, she can’t know you’re alive,” Roan explains. 

“And how do I know this isn’t all some story?” Bellamy asks.

“Well for starters, you’re not dead. Also, I wouldn’t lie when it comes to Clarke,” Roan promises. Bellamy sighs, knowing it’s true.

“So what now?”

“Now, Echo is going to signal our warriors to attack the Mountain men, while the people at my compound take out Cage. I was supposed to have the honor, but you and Clarke caused some complications,” Roan teases. Bellamy doesn’t even know what to say, so he waits silently as Roan turns to Echo, nodding at her. His eyes widen slightly when they share a kiss, and then she leaves. Bellamy raises an eyebrow at Roan, who sighs.

“I was never in love with Clarke, Bellamy. I just needed to get her out of Trikru. You guys threw a rather large wrench in my plan.”

“You realize this all seems completely insane, right?” Bellamy asks.

“Yes, but you know it’s true,” Roan replies. Bellamy sighs, a rueful grin on his face.

“I don’t get why you couldn’t just tell us, though.”

“They’ve been watching me constantly. The only reason I managed to get away was because they think I’m with Clarke still.”

“When can I see her?” Bellamy asks, his attention immediately turning to her.

“Soon, as soon as the burning started I’m sure she asked Murphy to get me. That was his cue to tell the others it was happening.” A horn call sounds from outside, and Bellamy turns towards the sound. “That was Echo sounding the signal to our warriors. It’ll all be over soon, one way or another.”

***

Murphy runs back into the room about ten minutes later, eyes frantic. “Ok, Clarke, we have to go, now.” Murphy grabs Clarke’s arm, not roughly, but firmly, pulling her up.

“What the hell? No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on!” Clarke shouts, pulling herself from his grasp. He glances around, clearly in a rush and worried.

“Listen, Clarke. I need you to trust me, please. We have about three minutes to get out of here before the Mountain Men come for us,” Murphy explains. 

“Wait why are they coming for us?”

“Because we kind of just murdered their leader.”

“Wait WHAT?” Clarke reels, confused beyond belief.

“We do not have time for this, Griffin,” Murphy insists through clenched teeth. “I have horses waiting for us, now come on.” Clarke doesn’t know why, but for some reason, she trusts him. So she nods and he sighs in relief, gesturing for her to follow. 

They hurry out of the room, into the hallway. Murphy stops in front of a portrait of Roan, running his hand along the side of the frame. There’s a quiet click and then he pulls the painting away from the wall, revealing a tunnel large enough to stand in.

“What the-” Clarke starts.    
  


“Be quiet and follow me,” Murphy says quietly. He climbs into the hole in the wall and Clarke follows, closing the entrance behind her. Murphy clicks on a light and starts quickly walking down the tunnel, navigating his way easily. After ten minutes of silently hurrying through the tunnels, they reach a dead end. Murphy reaches up to the ceiling. Clarke hears the squeal of metal against metal, and then he pushes a trapdoor upwards, sunlight revealing a ladder leading up the wall. Clarke follows him up and out of the hole. The sun is setting and they’re right at the edge of the forest, outside of the castle walls.

“How the hell?” Clarke murmurs. Then she sees a woman standing with three horses nearby.

“Emori!” Murphy calls. The woman turns and smiles. Murphy jogs over to her and Clarke follows. Murphy kisses Emori quickly, then turns, as if looking for someone else. “Where’s Raven?”

“She went ahead to tell Roan we did it and were on our way. She’s fine,” Emori reassures him. 

“Thank god,” Murphy whispers. “Clarke, this is Emori.” The girls greet each other and then all three climb onto their respective horses, Murphy leading the way.

“You want to tell me what’s going on now?” Clarke asks.

“Roan will explain in a few minutes, I promise,” Emori says. Clarke sighs, but Murphy nudges his horse into a gallop, the girls following suit. 

Ten minutes later, they’ve stopped outside a cave. Someone comes running out and Clarke’s heart stops, relief flooding through her.

“Bellamy!” She jumps down from her horse, and runs to him, jumping right into his arms. He catches her around the waist, pulling her closer to him as she nuzzles her face into his neck, never wanting to let go. “Oh, you’re ok,” she whispers. “Thank god, you’re ok.”

“I’m fine, Princess,” He promises, one hand on the back of her head. Clarke pulls back, her hand moving to his cheek. And then he’s leaning down, his lips catching hers, one hand on the back of her neck, an unspoken promise in the kiss.  I’ll never leave you again . They break apart, Clarke speechless. He grins at her.

“Hey, Princess,” he whispers. She smiles up at him. Roan, standing behind Bellamy, clears his throat. Clarke turns her attention to him, anger and confusion surging through her.

“Roan, what’s going on?” Clarke demands, glaring daggers at him. 

“I know I have a lot of explaining to do,” Roan says before she can yell at him. “But you should know it’s over. With Trikru’s help, my warriors wiped out the Mountain Men. Your friends are fine. It’s over.” Clarke looks at Bellamy, and he nods, smiling. They move to kiss again, but a loud boom distracts them. They both turn to look at the sky. What looks like a flaming ball of metal is sailing over them. Their eyes follow it until it’s out of sight. Then a large crashing sound comes from where it was headed, and a plume of smoke appears above the trees. Clarke and Bellamy exchange a wide glance. Bellamy squeezes her hand. Whatever this new challenge is, they’ll face it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowiee. I hope you liked the ending, even if it is rather anticlimatic! The next story is already being written and will be published soon. It (hopefully) will go better than this one. Thank you for all the support and love and kudos!


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